[FFML] [fanfic][UY/Ranma/SisPri] "Lonely Souls" Part 7 A Side (final draft)

[Frederick Herriot]

A cooler day today.  Some Chris de Burgh music to listen to and there's work 
to be done . . .

Cheers!

Fred

**** **** ****

	"Hina really doesn't understand, Bou-san . . . "

	Standing on the roof of the old shrine, Hinako cradled the Staff of Gihan.  
Tears trickled from grief-filled eyes; her cheeks were damp from hours of 
crying.  Sniffing back a bout of fresh sobs, the youngest sister gazed 
heavenward.  "Hina knew Bou-san could help Akane-san after what Akari-san's 
big piggy did."  Another deep sniff before she gazed on the Staff.  "Why 
didn't Akane-san want Bou-san to help her?"

	***It was her choice in the end, Hinako.***

	"Didn't she care about how her sisters or Shinshi-san'd feel?"

	***Don't forget:  At the time she slipped into the Very, Very Bright Place, 
Akane believed her family was about to abandon her.***

	Hinako sniffed back more tears.  Oh, yes, she knew what the pain arising 
from THAT was like, having experienced it since her mother and stepfather 
left her at Welcome House.  "They didn't really mean to do that, did they . 
. .?"

	She gazed into the morning sky.  ***That's not relevant to the issue at 
hand.  What mattered was what Akane's feelings were at the moment she chose 
to go to the Very, Very Bright Place. Not Kasumi's, Nabiki's or 
Shinshi's.***

	Hinako considered that, and then she nodded.  "Yeah, that's true . . . "

	***Besides, remember what Akane told you at the end?***

	Silence fell before a smile crossed her face.  "Hai, Hina remembers."

	***And Akane DID want to be with her mother, Hinako,*** the Staff reminded 
her.  ***You can certainly understand that, can't you?***

	Hinako nodded again, her smile widening.  "Hai.  Akane-san's with her mama 
now in the Very, Very Bright Place.  But . . . "  The smile faded.  "What 
happens with all of Akane-san's friends, Bou-san?  What about Kasumi-san, 
Nabiki-san and Shinshi-san?  What about Ryouga-san?"  A pause as she pulled 
the Staff closer.  "What about Onee-tama . . .?"

	***They will have to resolve their feelings for Akane on their own, 
Hinako.***  The Staff extended a field of energy around her controller, 
chasing away the last of the morning chill.  ***There is nothing you can do 
to help them in that regard except tell them how sorry you feel about 
Akane's passing into the Very, Very Bright Place.***  A pause.  ***And you 
also did defend Ryouga's actions as 'P-chan,' didn't you?***

	Hinako blinked before her smile returned.  "Hai, Hina did!"

	Silence fells as a wind flowed past the youngest of the sisters.  Hinako 
pulled the Staff from her, staring directly on the ancient device's focusing 
crystal.  Sensing what she wanted to see, the Staff forged a 
three-dimensional mini-hologram of Tendou Akane.  "Hina wishes you would've 
stayed here instead of going to the Very, Very Bright Place, Akane-san.  But 
. . . "  She sniffed.  "Hina knows what it's like to not be with her mama.  
Hina misses her mama very much.  Maybe one day, Hina'll be with her mama 
again . . . "

**** **** ****
"Lonely Souls"
By Fred Herriot
pyeknu at hotmail.com OR fherriot at yahoo.com
**** **** ****
Based on "Urusei Yatsura" and "Ranma 1/2," created by Takahashi Rumiko; and 
"Sister Princess," created by Tenhiro Naoto and Kimino Sakurako.
**** **** ****

NOTE:  The writer's notes are in a separate text file.

**** **** ****

THE SEVENTH PART, "A" SIDE - EMPTY CHAIRS

	A phone rang.  "Hai, this is Horikawa."

	"You need not use that false name with me, Naho."

	A giggle.  "Negako-chan, am I *ever* going to make you call me 'Mother?'"

	An exasperated sigh.  "Naho, cease your attempts at trying to make me more 
'human.'  I already receive enough such 'advice' from Sakuya and the other 
sisters.  At least Ataru and Chikage do not do that to me."  A pause, and 
then she announced, "Tendou Akane is dead."

	A gasp.  "What happened?!"

	The explanation took ten minutes.  At the end of it, the woman who had been 
born as Hana Naho, daughter of Hana Seinen and his wife Jiko -- Naho 
currently lived under the identity "Horikawa Nahoko" -- closed her eyes.  
"That poor girl," she whispered, shaking her head.

	"Something good may come out of it," Negako advised.  "However, as you are 
well aware, something worse WILL come out of it."

	"Grandfather, you mean?"

	"Indeed.  Akiko is already at work preparing him for his 'mission.'"  Both 
Negako and Naho/Nahoko knew which person the former was ultimately speaking 
of.  "I suspect it will happen late this evening.  Tomorrow evening at the 
latest."

	"I best come see you then.  Should I bring Nanase-chan and Mutsumi-chan?"

	"If you believe that is the prudent course."  A pause.  "Shanpú has been 
informed of what has happened to Ranma.  I assume Mùsi will come to realize 
what Ranma will most likely do.  Since this is what the Tora-Seishin and the 
Nujiézú desire, using Mùsi *this* way should ease his ardour when it comes 
to Shanpú."

	"Oh, alright then!" Naho replied with a titter.  "I'm sure Nanase-chan and 
Mutsumi-chan'll take well to Mousse-kun.  Besides, it's been a long time 
since I last saw Aunt Cologne.  We'll be around the house by later this 
evening."

	"Naho."

	"What is it, Negako-chan?"

	A sigh.  "PLEASE, do NOT bring Ayano with you."

	A pause as Naho stared at her cell phone in shocked surprise.  She then 
smiled as she returned the device to her ear.  "At least you now understand 
the concept of 'please,' Negako-chan."  She then laughed.  "Oh, very well!  
I'll keep Ayano-chan here."

	"Thank you."

	"I'll bring Shiina-chan instead."

	In her bedroom in Nerima, Negako tried not to groan.  Honestly, would Naho 
ever LEARN?!  The ninjutsu grandmaster then paused as she considered what 
Naho was proposing.  Unlike Inaba Ayano, Misaki Shiina did not CONSTANTLY 
lose control of her libido whenever she was in Negako's presence.  And there 
WAS the other girl in Naho's adopted family of Avalonian refugees currently 
living in Odawara.  "Very well, then.  Bring Rinko as well."

	"You're a greedy girl, Negako-chan!  Shiina-chan AND Rinko-chan?!"

	"Naho."

	"Yes, dear?!"

	Negako's voice turned to ice.  "Do not push it."

	Naho sighed.

*    *    *

	"Captain, we've established orbit over Earth."

	"Status report?"

	"No sign of other starships within sensor range.  Retrieval systems are at 
the ready," the technician reported.  "We've locked in on the transporter 
guide beacons Rose set into place.  We can seize the targets at any time we 
desire."

	The captain of the "Rose Emperor" nodded.  "Does Rose need assistance when 
it comes to *inviting* Mr. Groom's sisters to join us?"

	The technician shook her head, a light smile crossing her face.  "No, 
ma'am.  Agent Rose reports she can use her own scout's sensors to locate 
them via the traces of their DNA Agent Rose obtained when she visited their 
hostel.  Their coordinates will be automatically relayed to us."

	"Excellent!"  The captain grinned.  "The Queen will be very pleased.  
Alright, then."  She gazed on the other women controlling the bridge of the 
patrol monitor.  "Look sharp, people!  The quicker we do this, the better!"

	"Yes, ma'am!" the crew chanted.

*    *    *

	Oogi frowned as he gazed on the "Rose Emperor."  The bodiless president of 
Phentax Two currently stood in one of the cloaked bioroid factory ship's 
primary control centres.  As soon as the Ellsian patrol monitor had come 
into orbit over Earth -- moving to a geosynchronous position directly over 
the Holy Citadel! -- Oogi had ordered the factory to skirt north, putting 
its centre over Urawa.

	"Mister President?"

	Oogi glanced over his shoulder to see Otako currently standing at the 
site-to-site transporter unit that connected the control centre with the 
rest of the vast factory.  "What news about those missing bioroids, Otako?"

	"No further information about them has been obtained, sir," Otako, a 
replica of one of the Church's more passionate leaders who had died when 
Phentax Twelve was destroyed, replied.  She then perked.  "There is an 
update concerning Operation:  Hashish, sir.  The bioroids you require for 
that are a day from emerging from gestation."

	He nodded.  "Excellent.  When they are ready, have them programmed right 
away.  No delay on that, Otako," he ordered with a raised finger.

	Otako nodded.  "It will be done, sir.  Do you desire to communicate with 
any of the observers in the Holy City?"

	Silence fell over the bridge as he considered that, and then he shook his 
head.  "No, not yet.  Certain more critical matters have to be resolved 
first before we re-establish control over those people.  Don't worry about 
it."

	"As you wish, sir."

	"What of the Great Evil?  Have you located him?"

	"No, sir.  Even with the data you brought with you when you came here from 
Lumukyou, all attempts at locating Moroboshi Ataru anywhere within the Tokyo 
region have proven unsuccessful.  We are still looking, though."

	Oogi trembled before he gasped suddenly as a feeling akin to a billion 
thumbtacks pressing into his skin overwhelmed him.  To Otako's point of 
view, the ghostly president seemed to fizzle, the colour of his "body" 
fading.  A hand darted to the communicator affixed to the collar of her 
jumpsuit as she barked out, "Gestation Unit Six!  Have . . .!"

	"NO!"

	Otako stopped as Oogi seemed to curl in on himself for a moment.  The 
former was frozen in place, ignoring the concerned query from the woman in 
charge of the gestation unit, as she watched the president's body blaze with 
new energy. Another minute passed, and then he straightened himself, looking 
somewhat healthier for a living spirit without a physical body to inhabit.  
"I . . .!" he automatically panted, though it was pretty much impossible for 
his astral form to take in oxygen.  "I'm alright . . .!"

	Otako blinked, and then she nodded.  "Stand down, Unit Six," she ordered, 
tapping her collar, and then she walked up to gaze intently at Oogi.  "Sir, 
you can't keep depending on the energy of those who died on Phentax Twelve . 
. . "

	"I know!" he grunted.  After taking a couple steps away, he straightened 
himself as he pointed to the Ellsian monitor hovering off the starboard 
quarter.  "Have sensors probe that ship.  Find out who's aboard and why 
they're here!"

	"Yes, sir," Otako replied with a nod before she headed out.

	Oogi's vision remained locked on the "Rose Emperor."  "No doubt, you've 
come to claim your 'Honey' now that the Goddess no longer stands in your 
way, Elle, dearie."  He smiled; as President of Phentax Two, it was his 
business to know the habits of all his counterparts in the Galactic 
Federation, including the infamous Rose Queen.  "But I've business with him 
that will not wait, even for you!  And if you get in my way . . .!"

	Howling laughter soon echoed through the factory.

*    *    *

	"There it is, Luf!  Old-style cloaking device shieldin' it from the 
Ellsians, but it's stickin' out like a sore thumb to us!"

	Lufy grimly nodded as she gazed over Priss' shoulder on the enhanced visual 
image displaying the area of thermospheric space over the city of Tokyo.  
Hovering over Tomobiki was a Rose Emperor-class patrol monitor, the capital 
ship model of the Royal Ellsian Navy.  Compatible to an Urusian Kashin-class 
battlewagon, the "Rose Emperor" and her two dozen sisters were warp-capable 
mobile gun fortresses and fighter launch platforms primarily used as space 
control craft, vessels that could keep a solar system secure from small 
fleet attacks by enemy forces.  They were equally as effective when used as 
parts of fighting squadrons of four-to-six patrol monitors in larger fleet 
combat actions.  Against the Avalon bioroid factory, which had slipped to 
the north to ensure it remained undetected by Ellsian sensory, the patrol 
monitor stood a decent chance of crippling the larger ship only if it had 
surprise on its side; the Avalonian craft had been built with only 
short-range point defence weapons.  But the bioroid factory's excellent 
sensory suite and on-board cloaking device had effectively forewarned and 
shielded whoever was in control of the damned thing well ahead of time.  If 
they just sat there and made like a hole in space, the Avalonians would 
remain undetected.

	Lufy had no intention of revealing the factory's existence, either.

	Her relationship with Catty Ray -- to mention ANYTHING of Catty Ray's 
future as a sentient being -- depended on stealth now.

	"What's our status, Pri?"

	"Cloaking device active," Troop Six's first officer replied.  "Keeping to 
passive scans just in case the Ellsians might have something we don't know 
about, hard as it is for me to believe the Rovers could slip up on us like 
that.  Our hidin' behind Earth's moon's acting as extra shielding.  But if 
you wanna get a body for Catty Ray . . . "

	"We have to close within transporter range," the "Konggh'cha's" 
shipmistress and watchmistress of Troop Six's base ship, the "Kiboo'cha," 
finished for her best friend.  "And while we've got a good cloak and we know 
loads of stealth approach techniques . . . "

	"One slip-up on our part'll get us into loads of hot water with both the 
Ellsians and the Avalonians," Priss added.

	Lufy nodded.  "And since we haven't decided to open full outside contact 
with the galaxy, the wonderful geniuses in Tere'na City will be all over us 
like a pride of starving sandpanthers over a wounded stormwalker if that 
ever happened," she topped that with a knowing smirk.

	"Hey, guys!"

	The Pirpirsiw'r turned as Ayumu walked onto the bridge.  Their eyes then 
shot out of their sockets on seeing the Yizibajohei-born defence officer 
dressed in a frilly silver lace bra, matching panties, G-string, suspenders 
and sheer nylon thigh-highs!  In Tomobiki or Nerima, seeing the beautiful 
(if still quite young-looking) Ayumu dressed like THAT would have most boys 
fainting in shock, if not drooling in lust.  To Ayumu's fellow Sagussans, 
all she nearly got were a pair of giggles.  Fortunately for Lufy and Priss, 
Ayumu's genki disposition saved them both from a world of potential pain; 
the Yizibajohei-born defence officer, while she was -- put kindly! -- a 
narcoleptic, airheaded spacecase, she was also physically and metaphysically 
the most powerful of the Daishi'cha.

	"What do you think?" Ayumu asked as she twirled around to show herself off. 
   "Do you think Ataru-sama will like seeing me dressed like this?"

	"Ayumu, why in Lyna's name are you dressed in THOSE torture devices, 
anyway?!" Priss demanded.  The current generation of Sagussans, due to their 
touch-telepathic abilities, often viewed Terran-style underwear as grossly 
restrictive when it came to sharing some intimate mind tapping with one's 
lover.  "The only way Ataru-sama will ever see you without your outer 
clothes is when you're both alone in a bedroom."

	"Well, I heard from Chiyo and Sakaki that Terrans think that wearing this 
stuff really makes you look sexy," Ayumu replied, her smile growing a little 
wider.  "Don't worry.  I got some nice stuff for you guys too!"

	Lufy and Priss jolted.  "When?!" both demanded.

	"Oh, didn't you know?  When Noa went to Earth last time, she brought back 
some fashion magazines with all those manga, videos and DVDs where we got 
our names from."  She pointed to herself.  "I borrowed one, and then I used 
a clothing replicator to make some stuff.  Tomo and Yomi really, really, 
really like some of the stuff I made for them!"

	The Pirpirsiw'r exchanged wary looks.  "They do?" Lufy asked.

	"Hai!"

	"Nobody would dare laugh at them, Luf," Priss then mused, a wry smile 
crossing her face as she held up a warning finger.   "If Yomi didn't cripple 
them on the spot, Tomo would practice her 'arrest procedures' on them."

	Lufy took that in before she nodded, a chuckle escaping her.  Koyomi -- 
"Yomi" to her friends -- was a sister Pirpirsiw'r.  However, after her 
rebirth a couple of centuries after Priss and Lufy became Daishi'cha, she 
elected to become a construction engineer in lieu of joining the Navy.  
Tomo, who came to Sagussa from Yiziba at the same time as Ayumu, was the 
Master Chief Warrant Officer of the Sagussan Internal Security Force, the 
senior patrolwoman on Sagussa.  Seeing her main task as providing a proper 
example to the junior ranks, Tomo took as many opportunities to practice 
established police procedures.  Unfortunately, given her Yizibajohei-born 
metahuman powers -- in her own way, she was as powerful as Ayumu! -- Tomo's 
"practice sessions" often resulted in levels of destruction that nearly 
equalled the force unleashed by a tactical nuclear warhead.  That didn't say 
ANYTHING about the people who wound up in Sick Bay if they had the ill luck 
to get caught in the crossfire.

	"Thanks for the presents, Ayumu," she then said.

	"No problem."  Ayumu then blinked as her eyes locked on the image before 
Priss.  "Oh, an Ellsian ship.  What's it doing here?"

	"We're trying to figure that out right now," Priss replied as she found 
herself gazing at the other woman's enticingly clad bust.  Shaking her head 
as she looked away from that, she turned to her control board, a finger 
absently wiping away the trickle of blood leaking from one of her nostrils.

	While Ayumu didn't take notice of what her lingerie was doing to Pathfinder 
Troop Six's first officer, Lufy did.  *Pri, we GOTTA get you a bond-mate,* 
the fighter pilot mused to herself.

*    *    *

	Chikage stepped into the kitchen.  "Ohayou, Shirayuki."

	The chef gazed up from what appeared to be pancake batter.  "Ah, 
Chikage-chan, ohayou gozaimasu desu no."  Then, taking a deep breath, she 
turned back to prepare breakfast.  "Hime's not really in a mood to cook 
today . . . "

	"Understandable."  Chikage then took the mixing bowl out of Shirayuki's 
hands, placing that on the counter before she turned to stare at the chef.  
"We all survived very well before you came to live with us, Shirayuki.  I 
think we can go out to make our own breakfast this morning.  Besides, I 
personally think few of us are going to be hungry today after last night's 
events."

	Shirayuki then sighed.  "Why did she do that, Chikage-chan?"

	"Akane?"

	"Desu no."

	"Many reasons.  The love she felt for her late mother certainly weighed 
into it."  A pause as Chikage pursed her lips, and then she leaned against 
the refrigerator.  "We should also keep in mind what Ane-kun told us about 
her.  Akane was never made to apologize for any of the times she grossly 
overstepped her bounds concerning interacting with other people, especially 
Ane-kun.  To have everyone from her family to Ane-kun to near-strangers tell 
her that she was in the wrong after assuming for so long she was in the 
right . . . "

	"It's all her father's fault, you mean?"

	"That's where it started, pretty much."  Chikage then blinked as someone 
else entered the kitchen.  "Ohayou, Ani-kun."

	Shirayuki brightened a bit on seeing Ataru.  "Oh, Nii-sama!"

	"Ohayou," he hailed as he walked up to embrace the chef from behind.

	Feeling his strong arms wrap around her, Shirayuki allowed herself to sink 
deeply into his warm embrace.  A hand reached up to gently thread her hair 
as his nose batted across her forehead, his beard tickling the end of her 
nose.  Finally, he gave her a tender kiss on the bridge of her nose.  "Don't 
worry about breakfast today, Hime-chan," he whispered to her as he gave her 
a tender squeeze.  "Not that many people're hungry right now."

	"Hime knows."  Shirayuki's cheeks reddened on Ataru's calling her 
"princess."  "Hime's not really in the mood to cook today."

	He sighed.  "That's understandable."

	"How are you feeling?" Chikage asked.

	Ataru considered the sorceress' question.  "Hard to say."  He shrugged.  "I 
guess I've seen too much in the way of premature death over the last while 
to really be stunned.  Though I AM somewhat upset at that woman for putting 
Hinako-chan through what happened last night."  He held up a finger before 
taking a deep breath.  "I'm not as angry as Ranma is, though."

	"Is Nee-sama okay?" Shirayuki asked.

	"She'll get over it.  It's a good thing that we got Jay and Kay to escort 
the Tendous back to their house.  After seeing what Akane did to 
Hinako-chan, Ranma was ready to tear into Kasumi and Nabiki for what they 
did and didn't do concerning their sister . . . "

	"They can still come to the House?" the chef probed.

	"Hai, they can.  In fact, getting away from the loons in this place'll be 
the best thing for them all."  Ataru held up a finger.  "What we have to do 
now is keep Ranma isolated from those who'd automatically be inclined to put 
the blame for all this on her shoulders.  Given how mixed up her feelings 
are concerning Akane, that's the LAST thing she needs!"

	Shirayuki nodded.  "Soo desu no."

	"We should have Negako-anekun keep an eye on Ane-kun."  Chikage closed her 
eyes.  "Are we still going to the hot springs?"

	"Yeah, we'll head out first thing tonight."  Ataru then rolled his eyes.  
"Barring any other unforeseen interruptions.  Anyhow, Chikage-chan, would 
you come with me?  I need to talk to you, Haruka and Sakuya alone."

	"Hai."  The sorceress fell in behind her brother as they headed out.

	Shirayuki watched them go, and then she turned back to what she was doing.  
"Hime should make breakfast for Nee-sama at least."

*    *    *

	"'Morning, Haruka."

	"Oh!"  Haruka perked as Jay stepped through the front gate, closing the 
door behind him.  "Good morning, Jay-san," she hailed before she turned back 
to her naginata practice.  "Did the Tendous make it home last night?"

	"Yeah."  The SCAA agent nodded as he watched the martial artist go to work 
with the bladed polearm.  "No problems.  I think this whole mess'll be 
wrapped up long before lunchtime."  He took a glance around.  "Where's 
Hibiki?"

	Haruka stopped herself.  "I believe Hibiki-*san* . . . " -- the honorific 
was coated with a tidal wave of disgust, Jay noted -- " . . . left the 
property sometime after Unryuu-san and her pet departed.  As to when he 
might be forced to grace our property with his presence again . . . "  She 
moved to begin another kata.  "Personally, I hope it will be *never!*"

	Jay gazed on her before glancing up to see a hunched form sitting on the 
roof.  "Your little sis up there won't agree with you."

	Haruka paused, glancing up to see Hinako gazing at the morning sky; the 
youngest sister had shifted herself away from staring directly into the sun 
as it crept higher in the sky.  Remembering the harsh words Hinako had said 
to everyone else about the Ryouga/P-chan situation, the martial artist 
closed her eyes.  "It should not have happened either which way, Jay-san," 
she said as she continued her kata, her face a mask of steely resolve.

	"Right."  Jay then perked as the front door opened to reveal Ataru, Chikage 
and Sakuya.  "'Morning, guys," he called out.

	Ataru waved back.  "Hi, Jay.  What's the scoop?"

	"All taken care of."  The former New York City detective lieutenant walked 
around Haruka to step onto the porch.  "Nothing'll happen to that big porker 
Unryuu-san owns since he DID act to defend his mistress AND your sister from 
an unprovoked attack witnessed by four other people.  Though I suspect that 
after this, that kid'll make sure none of her pigs don't go hog wild -- 
pardon the pun! -- on anyone like that again."

	"What about Hibiki himself?" Sakuya growled.

	"Nothing really can be done about that.  First, according to Tendou Kasumi, 
the guy normally passed out whenever Akane stripped down to the 
bra-and-panties stage."  He chuckled, shaking his head.  "Man, I've heard of 
shy, but THIS is ridiculous!"  He then shrugged.  "And, unfortunately, 
during the times he was playing 'P-chan,' it was happening with the tacit 
approval of the head of the Tendou household, namely . . . "

	"Akane's father," Ataru finished.

	"Right," Jay drawled.  "Ranma can't be charged with anything since she was 
deceived into believing a person's honour and word mattered more than an 
invasion of privacy, even when it concerned her then-fiancée.  Souun could 
be charged with allowing this to continue, but right now, he's locked up in 
a sanatorium for what he did that wound up with Shinshi's creation.  Kasumi 
can't be charged since her father forbade her from mentioning anything about 
this to Akane.  Nabiki never knew.  And the only other adult involved in 
this whole mess, Saotome Genma, is dead.  So, save for Akane dying . . . "

	Chikage crossed her arms.  "The issue is a closed book."

	"Save for the mourning.  Not to mention the fallout from that, according to 
Nabiki.  When news of this gets to their school . . . "

	"When will the announcement be made?" Ataru asked.

	"Lunch.  Just before I left, Kasumi promised she was going to make a call 
to Akane's old homeroom teacher about it this morning."  The SCAA agent 
stretched himself before he glanced past Ataru into the old shrine's living 
room.  "How's Ranma taking it?  And Marie?"

	"Marie-chan's still asleep."  Sakuya sighed.  "Onee-sama's having a hard 
time of it, but if we keep the riffraff away from her, things should be 
fine."

	"Speaking of which, we were just going out for a walk to talk about what 
we're going to do now," Ataru added before he glanced at Haruka.  
"Haruka-chan, do you think you can set that aside for the time being?"

	Haruka gazed on her brother, the sharp end of her naginata hovering over 
the ground.  "Is there a problem, Anigimi-sama?"

	"We need to talk."

	"Hai!"

	"Is there something else, Jay-san?" Sakuya asked as Haruka moved to secure 
her weapon, and then store it inside the living room.

	Jay shrugged.  "We need to get some more information out of that little 
firecracker Miree gave Hinako.  We're not going to try to take it away.  But 
given what that thing's capable of doing, it's better to be safe than 
sorry."

	Ataru nodded.  "Good point."

*    *    *

	"Where am I . . .?"

	A moan escaped her as she found herself staring at a bright, clear sky.  
Blinking, she looked left, and then right.  She was quick to recognize where 
she currently was.  "Hikarigaoka . . .?"  She then sat up to look down at 
herself.  Seeing nothing wrong with her body, she grunted as she got back to 
her feet, her hands automatically brushing her buttocks clean.  "How on 
Earth did I get here?"

	She took the chance to take another look around, and then her eyes fell on 
a pond ten metres away.  She was quick to recognize that particular feature 
of the park; it was here, not more than a week before, where she had that 
awful fight with Ranma which resulted in a broken arm, severe ki burns and, 
for the first time ever from Ranma's side of the argument, a total 
renunciation of the engagement between them.  A shudder warped through her 
as those events replayed in her mind with crystal clarity.  Gods, to believe 
that in the space of five weeks -- only FIVE WEEKS! -- things had soured 
between her and Ranma.  And to think that a simple thing like P-chan nearly 
choking on her . . .

	P-chan . . .?

	P-chan . . .

	"Ryouga-kun . . .!"

	Her eyes widened as recent events came back.  Night in the park.  She 
facing her family.  Ryouga and Unryuu Akari were there.  Kasumi demanding 
that she apologize to Ranma and Moroboshi Ataru for words she blasted at 
them when she had gone to beg Ranma to come back and live with the Tendous.  
Then came Nabiki with her own words, warning that THIS time, she wouldn't be 
allowed to get away with that.  It even got to the point where Kasumi 
threatened to no longer recognize her as part of the FAMILY anymore!

	And then . . .

	Marie . . .

	She walked toward the pond.  Her eyes quickly picked out two policemen 
standing guard over something near a street lamp.  A chill of haunting 
familiarity warped through her as she found herself walking toward the 
scene.  What happened?  Did someone die?

	Funny.  One of the police officers was looking her way, yet there wasn't 
any sign that he had taken notice of her.  She stopped, staring into his 
eyes, and then she blinked as he looked away to gaze on his partner.  "Sure 
hope they'll get this over with," he commented.

	"Hai, you said it!" the other officer mused, and then he thumbed towards 
the south end of the park.  "Don't worry.  The guy who runs the hamburger 
yatai over by the gate'll be open soon.  I'll get you some coffee when he 
does."

	"Thanks, man!"  He then gazed down at the scene.  "Man, to believe some 
huge sumo pig could do something like THIS!"

	The other officer grunted.  "Yeah . . . "

	Sumo pig?

	Were they taking about Akari's yokozuna rikibuta, Katsunishiki?

	Pig . . .

	She jolted as memories rip through her.  Susumu Marie, one of Moroboshi 
Ataru's half-sisters from Promised Island.  Frail girl physically, but 
possessing a sharp mind and a considerable level of intelligence.  And an 
even sharper tongue as she remembered the torrent of accusations Marie sent 
her way last night.  She wasn't the only one to suffer from that girl's 
words.  Kasumi and Nabiki both got a thick broadside of their own, but it 
was unto her that Marie had focused her rage, right up to the point where . 
. .

	Where she . . .

	Then . . .

	Ryouga-kun . . .

	He stopped her from using Mallet-sama on Marie.

	Then she . . .

	No . . .

	She hit him into the pond . . .

	And P-chan emerged.

	And Marie called him "Hibiki-san!"

	P-chan . . .

	Ryouga . . .

	A shudder warped through her as she remembered the volcano of rage that 
exploded from her heart as the SCALE of that bastard's betrayal finally sank 
in.  All the times she allowed him to SLEEP with her whenever he wandered 
into the Tendou compound.  To watch her UNDRESS.  The times she confided in 
P-chan, especially when it came to Ranma . . .

	Ranma . . .

	Ryouga hated Ranma.

	Fervently blamed Ranma for everything that had gone wrong in his life.

	Had vowed the very day he first confronted Ranma at Fuurinkan High that 
Ryouga would do everything to destroy Ranma's happiness.

	And Akane . . .

	He had USED her!  Pretended to be her friend while listening in on her.  
And then he justified his attacks on Ranma as "honouring" that friendship!  
Even worse, Kasumi had KNOWN about this.  And her father had known about it, 
too!  Even more, Souun had ALLOWED it out of some warped hope that Ryouga's 
behaviour would force Ranma to openly admit her "feelings" for her.

	They had all used her . . .

	Used her . . .

	"You know, some people say that girl was psychotic."

	She jolted, staring at the two police officers; the one farthest from her 
had said those words.  "Psychotic?!" she screamed, quaking indignantly as 
she felt something warp around her.  "Who says I'm psychotic . . .?!"

	"Yeah, both those other girls said that," the other cop acknowledged that 
with a nod.  "Jeez, can't blame them if that girl . . . " -- he pointed to a 
spot on the ground -- " . . . decided to attack someone who WASN'T a martial 
artist from BEHIND of all things!"

	She stopped, another chill warping through her, and then a cloud of guilt 
descended on her, as if she found herself beneath Damocles' sword, the 
deadly blade ready to pierce her through the skull.  No . . .!  She . . .!  
Marie . . .

	Not a martial artist.  Yes, she had been protected by a very big golden 
retriever.  What was his name again?  Michael?  But still . . .

	"Marie-san . . . "

	Tears welled in her eyes as she sank to her knees, her hands flying to her 
face as a sob escaped her.  She remained in that position for what seems a 
hateful eternity, and then, through the slits between each finger, she saw 
one of the police officers walk right at her.  Gasping, she moved to dodge, 
her eyes turning to stare on her feet . . .

	Just as his legs passed THROUGH hers as if she wasn't even there.

	Silence fell as she watched him walk for several more paces, and then he 
turned to walk back.  By then, she had regained her footing, her eyes locked 
on her hands.  As the officer seemed ready to pass her, she stuck her arm 
out . . .

	And then she cried out as he walked through her appendage.

	Again, as if she was not there.

	"No . . .!"

	Her eyes shifted left, and then she walked closer to whatever the officers 
were guarding.  Glancing at the low stone fence ringing the park pool, she 
quickly noted several shattered bricks scattered on the pathway.  And the 
pathway itself was marked with white chalk, forming the outline of a human 
body.  And there was blood.  A lot of blood.

	HER body . . .

	HER blood . . .

	"I'm . . . " she gasped, sinking to her knees.  "D-dead?"

*    *    *

	"Akane-san . . . "

	Hibiki Ryouga trudged down the street.  Not bothering to look up beyond 
what was needed to ensure he didn't bump into anyone, the weary wanderer 
tried not to let the darkness clawing at his soul overtake him.  But, then 
again, would it really matter?  Really matter after . . .?

**    **    **

	"***HINAKO-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!***"

	A flash of light blinded everyone.  The light itself immediately melted 
into a girl welding the ultimate in "magical" weaponry.  "Hai!  What's 
wrong, Yotsuba-chan?" Hinako asked as she stared on the would-be detective.  
Then, seeing her point off to the youngest sister's right, she turned to 
look.  "EEEEWWWW!"  She instantly recoiled on seeing Tendou Akane's 
shattered body, and then she turned back to her sister.  "What happened?!"

	"Never mind, Hinako-chan!" Shinshi snapped.  "Help her!"

	Hinako jolted, and then she blinked as the Staff whispered something into 
her mind.  "Oh, Hina understands!  Hai, hai!"  She raised the glowing weapon 
before she pointed the crystal at Akane's head.  "Hina'll fix it . . . "

	The Staff's crystal flared as a bolt of energy lashed out to wrap around 
Akane's body.  As the Tendous, Ryouga, Akari, Marie and Yotsuba watched, 
Hinako became icily still as the Staff's energy moved to embrace her.  Time 
seemed to stand still for the fretting onlookers.  Then, after what seemed 
like forever, the energy dispersed.  Eyes locked on the youngest of 
Moroboshi Ataru's sisters.  At first, there seemed confusion.  Then, it 
instantly melted to heartbreaking sadness as a whispered "Bye-bye . . . " 
escaped her.  Before anyone could say anything in response, Hinako's voice 
faded into a pained scream as she dropped to her knees, her arms keeping the 
Staff close to her.

	"Hinako!" Marie screamed as she and Yotsuba instantly raced for their 
sister's side as the energy encompassing Akane dispersed, not a single 
change having been done to the woman's body.  "Hinako-chan, what's wrong?!  
Hinako!" the bespectacled teen yelled as she shook her sister's shoulders to 
try to get her to say something, ANYTHING that could explain this.

	For the next couple of minutes, all anyone could get out of the poor girl 
was a wail.  Watching this, the others took time to gaze once more on 
Akane's broken body.  They were quick to note that the blood had stopped 
flowing, it forming a blackening puddle under her back.  Seeing this, 
Ryouga, still cradled in Akari's arms, began to shudder.

	No . . .

	No, this . . .

	Akane-san . . .

	It just . . .

	No!

	Akane . . .

	"Hinako-chan . . .?"

	The wanderer oinked as he turned, immediately realizing that Hinako was 
trying to say something.  Marie held her sister close as Yotsuba squeezed 
Hinako's shoulders in reassurance.  Finally, taking a deep sniff, the 
youngest of the sisters gazed on Kasumi.  "G-gomen n-ne, Kasumi-s-san . . . 
" she spoke in a pained whisper.  "B-but A-Akane-san . . . "

	"Couldn't you move her . . .?!" Nabiki blurted.

	That was enough to send Hinako into another crying fit.  Hearing that, 
Ryouga's heart shattered as Kasumi, who had been gazing at Hinako, staggered 
up.  Turning away, the eldest of the Tendou sisters spared the transformed 
wanderer a brief look, and then whatever control she had over her own pain 
shattered.  As she staggered away, Shinshi and Nabiki quickly moved to 
support her with their hugs.  Ryouga didn't notice as Akari drew him closer 
to herself; his eyes had again locked themselves on the weeping Hinako.

	Akane . . .

	No . . .

	"Hinako-chan, please . . . " Marie gently probed, gently stroking her 
sister's hair as tears welled up in her own eyes.  "Tell us . . . "

	A hand landed on the bespectacled girl's shoulder.  "Kinda easy to figure 
out, Marie-chan," Yotsuba hoarsely whispered.  "She tried to help Akane-san 
. . . "  Her eyes then turned down to the weeping Hinako.  "But Akane-san 
decided to get on the Last Checky instead."

**    **    **

	"Akane . . . "

	Ryouga stopped at a corner, sparing a glance heavenward before an arc of 
pain surged through him.  "Gomen nasai, Akane-san . . . " he whispered, his 
eyes absently noting that it was safe to walk across the street.  "Gomen 
nasai, Akari-chan . . . "  He squeezed a fist.

	"Ryouga-kun!"

	He stopped, looking wildly around.  He then screamed out as a hand landed 
on his shoulder.  A car horn blared.  Before he could try to ascertain what 
was happening, two strong hands snared him and he was literally dragged off 
the street.  Crashing into the sidewalk on the other side of the road, the 
wanderer grunted as dizziness overtook him for a moment.  He then looked up 
to see who was kneeling next to him.  "Kanami-san . . .?"

	Kurosu Kanami grunted as she helped Ryouga to his feet, her hands then 
moving to dust him off before she fixed him with a concerned stare.  
"Ryouga-kun, what's wrong?!"  She squeezed his hands in both of hers.  "You 
were about to get run over by a truck!"  She pointed.

	Ryouga looked, gulping on seeing a large food delivery truck stopped at the 
corner, the driver giving him an annoyed look.  Before any altercation could 
begin, Kanami moved to guide the wanderer down the street.  "I'm back in 
Tomobiki . . .?" he asked as he looked around.

	"Hai, Ryouga-kun.  Not too far from the apartment where I live," the tall 
Avalonian confirmed with a nod, she moving to wrap an arm protectively 
around his.  "You look like someone just died, Ryouga-kun.  What happened to 
you?"

	"I . . . "  The wanderer stopped, and then his head dipped.  "Hai."

	"Ryouga-kun . . .?"

	"Someone did die."

	Silence fell over the pair as they headed down the street.  Kanami then 
nodded.  "It'll be alright, Ryouga-kun," she leaned up to whisper in his 
ear.  "I'm here for you now.  We all are.  It'll be alright."

	A shudder quaked him, and then he felt a strange warmth surge through him.  
"I . . . "  He blinked before he gazed briefly at Kanami.  Seeing the 
concerned smile on her face, Ryouga paused before he looked away.  "I hope 
so."

*    *    *

	"Ohayou, Minako-chan!"

	"Ohayou, Shinobu-chan!  How're you today?"

	"Pretty okay," Shinobu confirmed as she took her seat.  "How about you?"

	"Well, we got some good news," Minako reported as she sat beside her as 
other students streamed into the classroom.  "Kyooko-chan and Tomomi-chan 
met Ataru-kun last night and told him about the bioroid factory.  He'll help 
us."

	"Really?!"  Shinobu gazed on her new friend, clapping her hands 
delightedly.  "Oh, that's wonderful!  Is he planning something now?"

	"Not really.  He doesn't even know what's really going on with the factory 
or whoever's aboard right now.  All he does know is that Oogi fellow's up 
there.  But what sort of shape's Oogi in?  What sort of control does he have 
over the factory or the bioroids aboard?  They gotta figure all that out 
first."  She shrugged.  "So he told us to act normally for the next while.  
You know, try not to draw any sort of attention on ourselves."

	"That makes sense."  Shinobu then blinked as Tomomi and Kyooko stepped into 
the room.  "Oh, Tomomi-chan!  Kyooko-chan!  Ohayou!"

	"Ohayou, Shinobu-chan!" Tomomi replied as the other Avalonians relaxed.  "I 
take it Minako-chan told you the good news."

	Shinobu nodded.  "Hai, she did!  How soon do you guys think Ataru-kun might 
do something about Oogi and the factory ship?"

	"Not for a few days," Kyooko reported as they relaxed in the seats around 
hers.  "Actually, it'll be his sister Negako-san who'll deal with the whole 
mess, probably helped by Chikage-san and Hinako-chan.  Not to mention those 
refugees from Phentax Two who came to Earth via the factory."

	Shinobu perked.  "What refugees?!"

	Tomomi and Kyooko explained about Miree and her daughters.  Shinobu gaped.  
"They had a Church of HOLLYWOOD on that planet?!"  She tried not to fall 
over laughing.  "What sort of 'gods' did they worship, anyway?!  Cary 
Grant?!"

	"Miree-sama seems to have a thing for Humphrey Bogart."  Kyooko covered her 
mouth.  Tomomi snickered.  "Still, hearing about what the Lumites did to the 
Hollywoodites after they became the 'one true faith' . . . "  She shook her 
head.  "Such a sad thing."

	Minako nodded.  "Hai, that's true."

	"Agreed."  Shinobu blinked as something Kyooko said came back.  "Wait!  You 
said Negako-san and Chikage-san were going to deal with this.  I've heard of 
both of them.  Do you guys really think they can do something about all 
this?"

	Tomomi readily nodded, her eyes sparkling with admiration on speaking the 
sorceress' name.  "Negako-san and Chikage-san?  Bet on it!"

	Kyooko rolled her eyes.  "Oh, Buddha help us!"

	Shinobu stared quizzically at the blue-haired Avalonian.  "What?"

	"Chikage-san."  Kyooko thumbed Tomomi.  "After we were done with Ataru-kun, 
Chikage-san came to our apartment and helped clear out a whole slew of 
monitoring devices Oogi's people had scattered about the place . . . "

	Shinobu bolted to her feet.  "'MONITORING DEVICES?!'"

	Minako nodded.  "Yep!  According to Chikage-san, the whole town's been 
bugged.  Here, see for yourself."  She then reached into her pocket to draw 
out one of the spheroid devices found in her bedroom, it impaled on one of 
Chikage's crucifix-shaped throwing darts.

	Shinobu took that to give it a closer look.  By then, Fujinami Ryuunosuke 
and Seikou Mie had arrived.  "Ohayou, minna . . .!" the tomboy hailed with a 
wave of her hand, and then she blinked.  "Hey, Shinobu, what the heck's 
that?!"

	Mie took the device from Shinobu's hand.  "Some sort of audio/visual 
sensor, I think," she said, giving it a close look.

	"Audio-only," Minako augmented.  "This was in my bedroom."

	Shinobu spun on her, her eyes widening in panic.  "Did Chikage-san find out 
if they learned anything . . .?"

	Her voice trailed off.  "Doubtful."  Minako shook her head.  "Besides, 
given that three billion of the very people they serve are now air 
pollution, the chances are pretty good that whoever's here in town aren't 
feeling really good right now."  She held up her finger in warning.  "Oh, 
just in case you want to know, Chikage-san's pretty sure that the whole 
town's been littered with these things EXCEPT here!"  She pointed down.

	"The school?"  Shinobu nodded.  "Oh, I get it.  This place is their 'holy 
citadel.'  To actually 'sully' it with devices like this . . . "

	Her eyes fell on the device in Mie's hand.  Ryuunosuke blinked as she tried 
to put together what everyone else was talking about.  "Are you sayin' this 
was put in your bedroom by those Church of Lum jerks, Minako?"

	Minako nodded.  "Yep."

	"I think the first priority should be to gather all these things up and 
destroy them," Mie noted, handing the device back to Minako.

	"Chikage-san says it's not the smartest thing to do it wholesale now, 
especially with Oogi hovering over all our heads," Kyooko warned.  "After 
all, what'd be his reaction if his eyes and ears on the 'holy company' were 
suddenly cut off just like that?"  She snapped her fingers.  "Last night, 
she went out and cleaned up sections of the town outside our apartment.  She 
didn't tell us where she was going to do that, but she said that when things 
seem safe, she'll get Hinako-chan to clean the rest of them up right away."

	"Hinako . . . "  Ryuunosuke blinked confusedly.  "Who's she?"

	"The little girl that was with Ataru-kun yesterday when his daughters 
came," Minako provided.  "She's the baby of the crowd."

	"But she's only . . .!  What?  Seven?!"

	"Turned eight in August," Tomomi provided.

	"So how can someone that young help out?!" Ryuunosuke demanded.

	"Ryuunosuke-chan, the people who created the factory also created some 
things normal folks wouldn't want to have ANYTHING to do with," Minako 
explained.  "One of them is a device called the Staff of Gihan.  Think of it 
as a cosmic version of Sailor Moon's wand and you'll get the idea of how 
powerful it is."  A pause.  "Recently, the Staff was given to Hinako-chan to 
use."

	Silence.

	Shinobu gaped.  "And that's in the hands of a girl THAT young?!"

	"That does sound a little dangerous," Mie warned.

	Kyooko shook her head.  "Hinako-chan was chosen because of the purity of 
her soul, because she's still a child who hasn't dealt with all the 
delightful things puberty forces on people.  Miree-san hopes that by 
allowing the Staff to remain in Hinako-chan's hands, whatever 'dark' 
programming might still be within the Staff will eventually be deleted."

	Tomomi nodded.  "And from what I could sense of what's going on between 
Hinako-chan and the Staff, that assumption's on the money."

	"Do you think they'll go find that second device for Aria-chan?"

	"Probably."

	"Who's Aria?!" Ryuunosuke demanded.

	"Turned ten in November, comes from France," Tomomi provided.  "A spoiled 
princess, but believe me, Ataru-kun doesn't mind a bit."

	Shinobu's eyebrow arched.  "Really?"

	"Ohayou, minna-san."

	"MENDOU-SAN!"

	Eyes turned to gaze on Mendou Shuutarou, he standing at the doorway.

*    *    *

	"Mendou Shuutarou is there now?!"

	"Yes, Captain!"

	The "Rose Emperor's" captain nodded.  "Excellent!  Here's an extra present 
for the Queen!  I'll inform her of this at once!"

	"Yes, ma'am!"

*    *    *

	"Wash your back?"

	Lufy perked as she pulled her work jumpsuit off, and then she turned to 
gaze on Catty Ray.  The android was standing beside one of the showerheads 
in the "Konggh'cha's" lone bathroom, located aft of the pilotage and the 
shipmistress' quarters.  An inviting smile was etched on her face.  Smirking 
in anticipation, Lufy allowed her clothes to drop away from her.  Setting 
those aside, she walked over to gaze down into Catty Ray's golden eyes, she 
standing under a showerhead.  "Last day as an android," she mused.

	Catty Ray grinned as she flicked on the water, adjusting the temperature to 
the level she knew Lufy liked.  The Pirpirsiw'r turned around automatically 
as her lover got to work with a cloth and a bar of soap on her back muscles.

	"I'm nervous," the android then admitted.

	"You've got a right to be that way.  When you passed the threshold . . . "

	She gasped as Catty Ray walked up to press her bust into Lufy's back, the 
former's arms wrapping around the latter's waist.  "You let me be that way," 
Catty Ray said as she closed her eyes, resting the side of her head between 
Lufy's shoulder blades.  "I can never thank you enough, Lufy-vayae."  
Calling her *that* sent a delighted shudder through the taller woman's body. 
  "Never."

	Lufy blinked, and then she reached up to give Catty Ray's wrists a warm 
squeeze.  "I should be thanking you.  Once you made it . . . "

	"Walk away from the person who allowed me to become fully self-thinking?"  
Catty Ray tittered as she turned to bat her nose over the ridge of Lufy's 
upper spine.  That feather soft contact nearly sent the Pirpirsiw'r to her 
knees as jolts of ecstasy threatened to swamp her mind's pleasure centre.  
"Yes, I did have the choice to do whatever I wanted when the people at 
Techno-Entertainment Services decided to decommission me as a companion 
android, but to walk away from my very own emancipator . . . "  She then 
pulled away from Lufy as the cloth came around to start cleansing off the 
pilot's back of sweat and skin oil.  "No, I couldn't do that.  Not at all."

	Lufy remained still as Catty Ray got to work, her memory replaying the time 
when it really had started between them . . .

**    **    **

	"I am sorry, Eiuoiiaoii.  I must return to the maintenance lab . . . "

	The android blinked in shock as the pilot's hand grasped her wrist.  
Though, as a partially organic construct, she was stronger than the organic 
who had been her only lover for quite some time, core behavioural 
programming forbade her from causing any harm to a Daishi'cha.  Turning to 
stare into the red-brown orbs the Yehisrite-born pilot possessed, the 
android blinked for a moment before she pleaded, "Eiuoiiaoii, please release 
me.  I must return to the maintenance lab for a full systems diagnostic . . 
. "

	"You'll die if you do that," the pilot flatly announced.

	That caused the android to jolt.  "What do you mean?"

	"I'm talking about your template," the pilot explained as she guided her 
lover to the bed.  Since the Daishi'cha, in the wake of the Daimon'cha's 
visit three years before, had decided it was time to press on with full-time 
preliminary preparations to launch Stage Two of the Grand Design, Daishi'cha 
#29363 had obtained newly constructed quarters in a townhouse-like barracks 
on the east side of the remnants of Sagussa's world capital, Tere'na City.  
Despite the oppressive heat of Sagussa's primary, Sen'a, beating down on the 
wrecked world -- it would be five years before solar energy collectors would 
be commissioned to bleed off the remnants of Sen'a shattered red dwarf 
companion star, Eisen'a, and thus allow Sen'a to return to a normal K-type 
primary -- it was far much better than spending time in cryogenic suspension 
in the Chamber of Eternity, a vast underground support complex located in a 
mountain range north-east of Tere'na City.  "She's elected to take you 
permanently out of service.  After all, she's bonded with the Elder Mother 
now."  A scowl crossed the pilot's face as her mind called up images of the 
rusty-haired, blue-eyed, Seishin-Urusian-born woman who would one day bear 
the name "Noa."  "What's the need of having an android 'advertisement' if 
she's already bonded to someone she loved?"

	The android's eyes widened.  "Ashoi'cha did not tell me about it . . . "

	"She told me when we took the ship out for a trial run with the Gladiators 
slung to the hull last month," the pilot cut her off.

	The shorter woman paused as her mixed organic and positronic mental relays 
churned through what her companion had just said about what Daishi'cha 
#40435 -- companion androids referred to their organic templates as 
"Ashoi'cha" -- had decided concerning her continued existence.  She then 
stared at the pilot.  "Did you tell her about our time together?" she asked.

	"I made mention of it," the pilot responded, a smirk crossing her face.

	"And?"

	"She paid it no mind."

	"But still . . . "

	"People at Techno-Entertainment can't touch you if I have you signed out."

	The android paused again as she considered that.  "How long?"

	"As long as I want.  There's no time-restriction imposed on keeping a 
companion android outside of storage.  And if any of the techs bother me 
about it, I'll tell them that I'm not done with you.  They're still 
adjusting to what Ataru-sama's visit did to them emotionally.  By the time 
any of them might finally clue into what I actually might want with you, 
well . . . "

	Her voice trailed off.  Silence fell as the android considered what her 
companion just said, and then her eyes went wide.  "You'd allow me to . . 
.!"

	"Yes."

	More silence.

	"Why?!"

	"Because I want you, Oioai."

	The android blinked, her cheeks flaming on the pilot's addressing her with 
the first part of her template's sequential number.  The Daishi'cha were 
still debating over what names they wanted to used for themselves; that 
debate would last for a long time, right until the day the Elder Mother 
struck on the idea of using the Daimon'cha's interest in animation, manga 
and other forms of fiction to act as inspiration for everyone on Sagussa.  
"Why, Eiuo?" she asked, responding in kind as she held the pilot's hands in 
her own.

	The pilot considered that for a moment, and then she made herself sit on 
the bed.  Patting the place beside her to make the android sit down, she 
then answered, "At first, it was because you were Oioai-oi'iiui's replica 
that brought me to you.  Even after she and the Elder Mother bonded, my 
interest in her never abated.  But then . . . "  A wistful look crossed her 
face.  "Then you stopped getting the memory upgrades from Oioai-oi'iiui.  
And then you . . .!  Well, you started to become your own person.  I've 
always liked that."

	The android blinked as her processors absorbed and dissected that data, and 
then she canted her head in a show of overt curiosity.  "Has my emulation 
programming begun to deviate from what is demanded of me?" she then asked, a 
twinge of fear in her voice.  The pilot understood that reaction; for a 
companion android to grossly deviate away from what her template's emotional 
norms were was seen by everyone on Sagussa as ultimately defeating the whole 
purpose of the companion android system.

	"You've started to show signs, Oioai," she admitted.  "Remember when you 
asked me if it was possible for you to be programmed as a Gladiator pilot?"

	The other woman's eyes widened, and then she smiled.  "True."

	She stood up, walking away from the bed to gaze out the window at the 
barracks courtyard. Sen'a was moving to set over the distant cliffs that 
once loomed over the shoreline of the Western Ocean.  On the courtyard, 
three junior servicewomen were marching out to lower the flag for the day.  
Blinking as she stared down at herself -- companion androids often wore 
either the dusty tan "no assignment" jumpsuit or what would be seen in many 
nations on Earth as "civilian" clothing -- she then blinked as tears welled 
up in her eyes.  Quickly initiating a system diagnostic to ensure that 
particular function was responding property, the android took a deep breath. 
  "Help me, Eiuo . . . "

	The pilot tensed.  "Oioai . . . "

	"Help me, please.  Help me be human.  For you . . . "

	Without hesitation, the pilot moved to embrace her.

**    **    **

	"Remembering?"

	Lufy jolted on hearing Catty Ray's question.  She nodded.  "Yeah . . . "

	"Luf?" Priss' voice rang out from a nearby speaker.

	The "Konggh'cha's" shipmistress looked up.  "What is it, Pri?"

	"The guys'll be here in an hour or so."

	Lufy blinked.  The remainder of Pathfinder Troop Six, Priss' current unit.  
And her own.  And soon to be Catty Ray's.

	"Right."

*    *    *

	"Send Hinako-chan and Miree-san out NOW?!"

	Ataru sighed, he gazing across the pond at the very spot where Akane had 
breathed her last, his sisters surrounding her.  "Yes," he replied with a 
nod before he gazed on Sakuya.  "I don't want another incident like this to 
happen again, Sakuya-chan.  Especially not to Hinako-chan."

	"Perhaps we should consider giving this second device to someone other than 
Aria-chan, Anigimi-sama," Haruka proposed.

	"Miree-san was pretty adamant on the idea of giving that second device to 
Aria-chan, Haruka-chan," Sakuya warned.

	"Sakuya-chan, surely you must realize that Aria-chan may not be the right 
sort of person to deal with a device like Bou-san!" Haruka returned her 
look.  "Even more so, I don't believe that Guenevere-san would approve of 
this idea!"

	The others nodded.  Even if Aria's mother and stepfather no longer seemed 
to want to concern themselves with the young Parisian's upbringing, that 
Guenevere Rochelles still lived on Promised Island, ready to serve Aria at a 
moment's notice, spoke volumes.  "Regardless of what Guenevere-san thinks is 
right for Aria-chan, I think that after what just happened to Akane . . . " 
-- Ataru pointed across the pond -- " . . . none of us would want to see 
Aria-chan TOO sheltered from the outside world.  Ne?"

	"Agreed," Chikage said.  "Besides, look how well Hinako held up to last 
night's events.  Did any of us imagine that Hinako was capable of doing 
something like THAT?  I believe that with the proper encouragement -- which 
we all can give her, especially Hinako, not to mention Jonna, Orin and 
Miree-san -- Aria might turn out the same way."

	Sakuya sighed.  "Well, we DID take a chance with Hinako-chan.  We might as 
well do the same with Aria-chan."

	"We should ensure all precautions are taken first," Haruka warned.

	Ataru grimaced.  "Right."

*    *    *

	"Ataru-san . . .?!"

	She gazed across the pond at the people standing on the path leading to the 
park's main gate.  After it sank into her that she was no longer among the 
living, she had walked away from the scene of her demise, seeking a bench so 
she could put her thoughts together.

	Was THIS what death was like?

	Wasn't she supposed to go to Heaven or to Nirvana?

	Or was she . . .?

	A sob escaped her as fear surged up her spine.

	Was she not seen as worthy . . .?

	Did this mean . . .?

	WHAT did it mean?!

	*Well, well, well.  THIS is interesting.*

	She jolted, looking wildly around.  The voice that had just spoke to her 
seemed to come from every direction on the compass.  Who . . .?

	*Behind you.*

	She turned.  Her eyes quickly detected Ataru and two of his sisters walking 
away from the pond in the direction of the front gate.  However, the third 
one -- Chikage? -- was staring directly AT her!  "Who . . .?!"

	Even from this distance, she could quickly see the other woman's lips quirk 
into a smile.  *Fate is truly a strange thing at times,* Chikage's bemused 
voice echoed deep in her mind.  *Wouldn't you agree, Akane?*

	Akane blinked.

*    *    *

	"Hey, Onee-chan, you okay?"

	"Should I be?!" Kasumi snapped, her voice choking on a sob. Seeing Nabiki 
rear back from her outburst, she relaxed.  "Gomen . . . "

	"It's okay!"  Nabiki sat beside her sister, a hand reaching out to squeeze 
Kasumi's shoulder.  The older Tendou was quick to notice that despite the 
mask of self-control Nabiki projected, the younger woman's cheeks were still 
damp.  "Can't blame you for acting like that."

	"Akane-chan . . .!"  Kasumi squeezed her eyes shut, and then she gazed at 
the ceiling.  "Oh, why, Nabiki-chan?  Why . . .?"

	"Loads of reasons," Nabiki whispered as she tucked her legs into her arms.  
"But the big one, I think, is that none of us here ever took any time to 
make Akane-chan face up to her responsibilities."  Sniffing back a fresh 
bout of tears, she stared at the sitting room table.  "You remember how it 
was like, don't you?  Akane-chan thought Ranma-chan did something wrong, 
then smacked her around for it?  Even when it turned out that Ranma-chan WAS 
innocent about it, Akane-chan never apologized for it.  And we . . . "

	Kasumi nodded.  "We just sat there and let it happen again and again and 
again!  Even worse, when Ranma-chan tried to show some sort of anger over 
what Akane-chan did, what did we do . . .?"

	Nabiki closed her eyes.  "We let Souun and Genma gang up on Ranma-chan . . 
. " she exhaled, "And let Akane-chan get away with it."

	Silence fell as the Tendou sisters considered what to say next.  Footsteps 
then heralded the arrival of their brother's girlfriend, she draped in a 
khaki cardigan and a pair of faded jeans.  Gazing on Yotsuba, Kasumi and 
Nabiki were quick to sense the afterglow on the younger girl's skin that 
could only result from one act.  "Hey!"  The would-be detective wanly 
smiled.  "You guys okay?"

	Kasumi lowered her eyes.  "Thank you for not keeping the whole house awake 
last night, Yotsuba-chan."

	Yotsuba paled, snapping up her hands as a denial surged up her throat.  
"Hey, that's enough!" Nabiki called out before she rolled to her feet and 
walked over to place a reassuring hand on the younger girl's shoulder.  
"People aren't themselves when they lose someone close to them, Yo-chan.  
Believe me, Onee-chan and I know that VERY well."

	"Ah . . . "  Yotsuba paused before she nodded.  "Hai, that's true.  It . . 
. "  She shrugged as they sat down beside the table.  "All Yotsuba wanted to 
do was sleep with Shi-chama, let him cry over what happened to Akane.  Then 
. . . "

	Kasumi gazed concernedly at her.  "I hope you used protection."

	"Didn't have much time to think about it," Yotsuba admitted, shrugging.  
"Then again, Negako-anechama knows lots of ways to stop conception if it's 
needed.  Yotsuba'll take care of it today.  But . . . "  She sniffed before 
staring at her future sisters-in-law.  "Yotsuba's place is here now with you 
guys.  Shi-chama's taking this really bad."

	"Is he asleep?" Kasumi asked.

	"Hai.  He finally dozed off about an hour ago."  Yotsuba then perked on 
hearing footfalls echo from the front porch.

	"Oh, Ojii-san's home!"  Kasumi stood, calling out, "Ohayou, Ojii-san!"

	The women watched Happoosai step inside.  They were quick to note the tired 
look on the aged grandmaster's face.  The empty bag he normally used to 
stuff newly acquired underwear spoke volumes about his mood, too.  Pausing 
to gaze intently at the Tendou sisters and Yotsuba, Happoosai then closed 
his eyes.  "I . . . " he began, and then, making his way to the table, he 
bowed his head.  "I'm truly, deeply sorry about what happened to Akane-chan, 
ladies.  You've my sincerest condolences.  Not to mention Cologne-chan's."

	"She sensed it, Ojii-chan?" Nabiki asked.

	"Hai.  She told Shampoo-chan and Mousse to keep quiet about it.  When are 
you going to make the announcement to the kids at school?"

	"Lunch," Nabiki reported. "Hinako-sensei'll keep the Horde and Kunou-chan 
in line.  The staff'll keep this from the kids, not to mention 
Kunou-koochou."

	"That's good.  Heaven only knows what that pineapple-crazed moron might 
do."  Happoosai looked around.  "Where's Shinshi-kun?"

	"Asleep," Yotsuba reported.

	Happoosai glanced at the would-be detective, a smirk crossing her face.  
"It's good that you were there for him, Yotsuba-chan."

	She acked, flustering.  "Oh, this is definitely NOT checky . . . "

	"No, no!  Relax."  The grandmaster drew out his pipe.  "Shinshi-kun needed 
the emotional support.  You were there for him, child.  Don't worry about 
what other people think.  If they don't want to take the time to understand 
things, that's their damned problem, not yours."

	Kasumi nodded.  "Agreed.  Yotsuba-chan, can you call your sisters and ask 
how Ranma-chan is?  Heaven knows, once this gets out, there're going to be 
many people who'll automatically turn around and blame this on her."

	Nabiki closed her eyes.  "Not to mention Ataru-kun."

	Yotsuba nodded.  "Yotsuba'll call them in a bit."

	"Nihao!"

	Everyone turned as Shampoo walked in, a delivery box in hand.  "Oh, 
Shampoo, ohayou!" Kasumi hailed.  "You didn't have to . . .!"

	The warrior-maiden wagged her finger.  "Don't talk about that!"  A sad 
smile then crossed her face.  "You, Nabiki and your new brother need time to 
mourn Akane.  There's no need to worry about small things."

	"I . . . "  Kasumi stopped before she bowed.  "Arigatou, Shampoo-chan."

	"Yotsuba'll wake Shi-chama up."

	Yotsuba headed to the master bedroom.  Shampoo moved to unload her delivery 
box.  As she did so, footfalls heralded the arrival of another would-be 
rival of Akane's.  "Hey, anyone home?" Ukyou called out before peeking 
inside.

	"Oh, Ukyou-chan!"  Kasumi flustered on seeing the okonomiyaki chef bring in 
her own delivery box.  "Please, you don't . . . "

	An objecting finger stopped her voice.  "Not a word outta you today, 
Kasumi-chan."  Ukyou, her eyes glinting with her own tears -- regardless of 
her own rivalry with Akane over Ranma, the chef always thought of the 
youngest Tendou daughter as a friend -- set her box down before walking over 
to embrace the eldest of the Tendous.  "Shampoo called and told me what 
happened to Akane-chan."  She kissed Kasumi's cheek before she moved to 
unload.  "Right now, you don't need to worry about small things."

	"Thanks," Nabiki said as she took a bowl of ramen from Shampoo.  "Just keep 
quiet about it if you plan to go to school later, Ukyou.  I want to make an 
announcement at lunch.  I DON'T want the rumour mill to go to work before 
everyone gets the information they need, okay?"

	"What are you planning to tell them, Nabiki?"

	Shampoo and Ukyou looked as Shinshi stepped into the room, Yotsuba's arm 
wrapped around one of his.  "Holy . . .!"  The okonomiyaki cook then 
whistled in admiration before she glanced at Nabiki.  "This is YOU after 
Jusenkyou?!"

	Shinshi and Nabiki both blushed.  "Hai, dearie, that he is . . .!  Oh, 
thank you, Shampoo-chan!"  Happoosai took a plate of fresh nikuman from 
Shampoo as Shinshi and Yotsuba took their places at the table.

	"Aiyah!" Shampoo breathed before she moved to finish serving everyone else, 
and then she sat down. "Shinshi's lucky that clan-sister Yotsuba's already 
moving to claim him!  This one might want Shinshi for herself!"

	Eyes locked on the warrior-maiden.  "I take it Elder Cologne told you about 
what happened to Ranma-chan," Kasumi noted.

	"Hai."  Shampoo paused before she sighed as she put some sweet-and-sour 
pork into her bowl.  "Hearing that hurt this one bad, but Hibaa-chan said it 
was for the best.  Besides, Ai- . . .!"  She caught herself, her cheeks 
reddening.  "Er, Ranma can now become this one's blood-sister.  When Ranma 
marries Ataru, the Nujiézú and the Tiger-Spirit shadow warriors -- that's 
Ataru's extended family -- will finally be able to form a blood alliance.  
It's what Hibaa-chan and the Council have wanted for a long time."

	"Yotsuba thinks if she can, Shampoo should go see Ane-chama today," Yotsuba 
said as she took up a plate of fried noodles.  "Ane-chama'll probably need 
to have all her friends, not to mention future family, with her today."

	Ukyou winked.  "Don't worry.  Negako-san called and told us to whip up a 
delivery for the people at the shrine.  Shirayuki ain't in any mood to 
cook."

	"This one doesn't blame clan-sister Shirayuki for that," Shampoo noted.

	Kasumi nodded.  "Indeed.  Ukyou-chan, when you go see her, tell Ranma-chan 
that I'll come to visit her sometime this afternoon."

	"Sure thing," the okonomiyaki chef replied.

*    *    *

	"I'm NOT Akane?!"

	Chikage and Akane stood together in the woods of Hikarigaoka Park, far from 
prying eyes.  To ensure an extra level of security, the sorceress kept to 
psi-speech.  *Exactly.*  She gazed dispassionately on Akane.  *Last night, 
after your template's body was crushed by Akari's pet, her spirit took 
immediate flight into the next life to be with her mother.*

	"But . . .!"  Akane then blinked.  "How can you be sure . . .?"

	*Easily enough.  There is a witness to what happened, even in the last 
seconds of your template's time in this life.  Hinako.*

	Silence fell as Akane called up images of the youngest of Ataru's sisters.  
The girl with the magical -- was it "magic?" -- wand.  The one who helped 
Nabiki and Shinshi live separate lives after Souun's reckless actions cursed 
Akane's older sister to have a "brother" live in her own body.  "Hinako-chan 
. . . " she whispered.  "Th-that's right!  Y-Yotsuba-chan called out to her 
when . . . "

	*When Katsunishiki crushed your template, defending his mistress, Marie and 
Ryouga when your template lost control of herself and moved to hurt all 
three of them with her mallet,* Chikage finished.

	Akane shuddered as the hidden accusation in the sorceress' words made 
itself apparent.  "I . . .!"  She then looked down at the ground.  "Oh, 
gods, I can't believe . . .!"  She shook her head.  "I actually tried to . . 
. "

	Chikage shook her head.  *No, not you exactly.*

	Akane sighed.  "Chikage-san, you don't have to . . .!"

	*Look for yourself.*

	A crystal ball appeared in the sorceress' hand.  Akane stared at it as a 
dark image formed.  A point of light appeared in the middle of the ball, 
that point morphing into the image of a young woman on her back.  Akane 
shuddered on recognizing her.  "Me . . .?!" she gasped.

	*Your template,* Chikage emphasized.  *Now listen carefully.*

	Akane braced herself as a second point of light appeared some distance from 
the first's feet.  It too morphed into the image of a woman, this one much 
younger than either Akane or Chikage.  "Hinako-chan . . . " Akane whispered.

HINAKO: 	Akane-san!  Are you okay?!

	A groan escaped Akane as a hand shifted up to feel her forehead.

AKANE: 	What happened . . .?

HINAKO: 	It's okay, Akane-san!  Akari-san's big piggy just jumped all over 
you when you tried to hit Marie-chan with that mallet of yours!

	Akane was quick to sense the annoyed tone in Hinako's voice.

HINAKO: 	Mou!  Why'd you try to do something really, really, really stupid 
like that, anyway?!  Didn't you know about Ryouga-san's curse?!

AKANE: 	Curse . . .

	Silence fell for a brief moment as Hinako seemed to ready the Staff of 
Gihan to capture Akane's spirit in a preservation bubble.

AKANE: 	Why . . .?

HINAKO: 	Huh?

	A pained sob seemed to escape Akane.

HINAKO: 	Akane-san, are you okay . . .?

	Suddenly, another beacon of light appeared ABOVE Akane.

VOICE: 	Akane-chan . . .?

	Akane paled.  "Okaa-san . . .!"

HINAKO: 	Huh?!  Who're you?!

AKANE: 	Okaa-san . . .

VOICE: 	Akane-chan . . .

	The second beacon of light began to grow.  Akane turned to it, acting as if 
Hinako wasn't standing there behind her.  Seeing her template's image in the 
crystal ball, Akane shuddered, tears spilling as her soul seemed to grasp 
that treasured voice, that memory, in a hold of steel.

HINAKO: 	Hey!  Akane-san, what are you doing?!

AKANE: 	Okaa-san . . .

	Hinako's face shifted from frustration to confusion, and then to a sad 
understanding.  "Did she lose her mother, too . . .?" Akane asked.

HINAKO: 	Akane-san's mama . . .

AKANE: 	Okaa-san?!  Is that you?!  Okaa-san!

KIMIKO: 	Hai.  It's me, Akane-chan.

AKANE: 	OKAA-SAN!

	In a move that surprised the viewer, Akane lunged toward the light.  Hinako 
jolted as she then remembered what she was supposed to be doing, and then 
she reached out with her hand to stop Akane and pull her back.

HINAKO: 	Akane-san, wait!  Don't go!  Why are you going?!

	Akane spun on the youngest of the sisters.  Her face literally shone with a 
joy that no one had ever seen on her before.

AKANE: 	Why not?!  She my MOTHER!

	Hinako stopped, her eyes sparkling with tears.

HINAKO: 	But what about your sisters?!  What about your brother?!  What 
about your friends, Akane-san?!  You can't leave them!

	Silence.

AKANE: 	Yes.  I can.

HINAKO: 	Akane-san . . .

	As the young girl with the power of Eternity Itself behind her started to 
cry, Akane reached out for the beacon that would reunite her with the one 
whose life and death had influenced so much, her body merging with the glow 
of her mother's spirit.  As Akane melted into the light, her voice rang out 
. . .

AKANE: 	Don't be sad, Hinako-chan.  I want to do this.

HINAKO: 	Akane-san, don't go . . .!

AKANE: 	I have nothing to go back to, Hinako-chan.

HINAKO: 	What about your family?!

AKANE: 	No family . . .

HINAKO: 	What about your friends?!

AKANE: 	No friends . . .

HINAKO: 	Akane-san . . .!

AKANE: 	Except you, Hinako-chan . . .

HINAKO: 	Akane-san . . .

	Another voice, this one sounding almost like Hinako though with a divine 
theatrical boom, seemed to thunder all around her.

VOICE: 	***The choice is hers, Hinako.***

	Akane stared at Chikage.  "The Staff . . .?"

	Chikage nodded.

HINAKO: 	Bou-san . . .

AKANE: 	Sayonara, Hinako-chan . . .

	Akane faded fully into the beacon of light.

AKANE: 	Tell Marie-san . . .

HINAKO: 	Akane-san . . .?

AKANE: 	She was right . . .

	The beacon disappeared, leaving Hinako alone in the darkness.

HINAKO: 	Akane-san . . .!

	The youngest of Ataru's sisters bowed her head.

HINAKO: 	Bye-bye . . .

	"No . . .!"

	The image in the crystal ball vanished as Chikage watched Akane sink to her 
knees, her hands flying to her face as pained sobs escaped her.  The 
sorceress remained silent as the disembodied spirit wept, she slipping her 
crystal ball back under her cape.  Finally, Akane's hands dropped from her 
face as her moans faded into deep breaths.  She then slowly got back to her 
feet.  Taking another breath to steady herself, she stared at the sorceress. 
  "Chikage-san, I . . .!  Oh, gods . . . "  Her voice failed as she hugged 
herself.

	"I can understand why she did that," Chikage said as she crossed her arms, 
uncaring that she was using physical speech.  "Ever since Tendou Kimiko 
died, no one ever attempted to discipline Akane whenever she did something 
wrong.  Souun was too wracked with grief to act as a proper parent.  Kasumi 
couldn't make herself assume her mother's place in the household when it 
came to dealing with Akane's anger.  Nabiki was too busy trying to keep the 
house over their heads.  Then when Ane-kun and Genma came, things got worse 
. . . "

	"Ryouga-kun . . . "  Akane quaked, a fist squeezing over her heart.  "WHY?! 
  Why on Earth would he do something like THAT . . .?!"

	"Because he was alone."

	Silence.

	"His direction curse?"  Akane blinked as realization dawned, and then she 
stared wide-eyed at Chikage.  "His family?"

	"Save his father," Chikage cut in.  "They all have that curse; it's been 
the bane of the Hibiki family for some generations.  Could you imagine what 
it must have been like for Ryouga?  To never know where his mother, his 
brother or his sister might be at any given moment in their lives?  Perhaps 
be far away from his father at a moment when something terrible might have 
befallen him?  Any one of them might've died and the chances were good that 
the others might NEVER learn the truth for the rest of their lives!"  An 
eyebrow arched as Chikage crossed her arms.  "Imagine growing up in a 
situation like that, Akane.  Then add to it the dearth of real friends."

	"All alone . . . "

	"Hai.  Then comes someone who offers him warmth, kindness, friendship, even 
the first hint of love."  Chikage pointed on Akane.  "Your template.  And 
since he was a piglet at the time, he concluded that the only way to hold 
onto what she so willingly gave him . . . "

	"Was to keep up the illusion.  Is that why he made Ranma make that promise? 
  Because he just wanted to be with . . .?"

	"Partially.  You'll know of Ane-kun's view of honour at the time when it 
came to those with a disability like what Ryouga possesses.  Add to that the 
fact that Ane-kun did unintentionally curse Ryouga the day he accidentally 
stumbled onto Jusenkyou . . . "

	The disembodied spirit nodded.  "No wonder he got so mad," she said.  "And 
it's no wonder Ranma always called him 'P-chan' all the time.  He made a 
promise on his honour, then Ryouga-kun turned around to use that against him 
. . . "

	The sorceress nodded.  "Hai.  To further compound the matter was Ane-kun's 
own feelings for Ryouga.  On the one hand, she saw someone taking very gross 
advantage of the personal privacy of someone Ane-kun deeply cared for."  She 
pointed again to Akane to emphasise her point.  "On the other hand, she saw 
someone she looked on as one of the few friends she possessed, a friendship 
she wanted to see restored in the wake of what Jusenkyou had forced on them 
both.  There were times Ryouga did want to reveal himself to Akane.  And . . 
. "

	"Ranma was afraid that if that happened, I'd blame it on her . . . "

	"Yes.  So she stopped him whenever she could and if that particular fear 
overcame her desire to see the truth come out."

	Akane took that in before she turned away from Chikage.  Gazing upon the 
mid-morning sky, she then asked, "What am I?"

	"A soul replica."  The sorceress walked up to stand beside her.  "Created 
by the Staff of Gihan automatically nanoseconds before your template's 
spirit slipped into the next life.  Beyond Hinako's knowledge, I should also 
add."

	Akane closed her eyes.  "A psychic clone, you mean?"

	"Yes."

	"What happens to me now?"

	"That depends on you." Chikage gazed intently on her.  "You could, if you 
desire, allow yourself to discorporate.  In fact, that WILL happen to you by 
late tonight, twenty-four hours after the Staff created you.  Unlike a real 
ghost, you would not eventually enter the next life since your template has 
already preceded you."  A pause.  "However, if you wish, you could assume 
corporeal existence -- with Hinako's help, of course, plus the assistance of 
the bioroid factory -- and then proceed to live your life."

	"As Tendou Akane?"

	Chikage nodded.  "If that is what you wish.  I can tell Toofuu-kun to not 
prepare a death certificate for your template.  With the help of the Special 
Committee on Alien Activities, her school records could be whisked away from 
Fuurinkan and you could, as was planned for your template, attend school at 
Stargazer West College on the Island.  While your existence could then not 
be hidden from Kasumi, Nabiki and Shinshi, not to mention my own siblings 
and Ane-kun, to all in Nerima, you would still be dead."

	"Someone's going to announce that?"

	"Nabiki will at lunchtime."

	"I see."

*    *    *

	"Aneue-sama . . .?"

	Ranma looked up from the worktable in hers and Ataru's room to see Marie 
standing at the doorway.  "Marie-chan . . . " the redhead whispered before 
she walked over as the younger woman stepped inside.  Both slid into a 
comforting embrace.  "How're you feeling?" she asked.

	"A little numb," the bespectacled teen whispered as she laid her head on 
Ranma's shoulder.  "Are you alright, Aneue-sama?"

	Silence fell as the martial artist considered her future sister-in-law's 
question, and then she took a deep breath.  "Hard to say."  She then reached 
up to stroke Marie's hair.  "Part of me feels so mad right now . . . "

	"At Akane-san?"

	"Yeah."  Ranma gently guided the younger woman to sit down by the worktable 
before she relaxed on her futon.  "I mean . . . "  Here, she halted as a 
moment's confusion overtook her, and then she relaxed herself.  "Damn . . . 
"

	"You're also angry at yourself, aren't you?" Marie wondered.

	"Yeah . . . "

	Marie smiled.  "Understandable.  For a year, Akane-san was the primary 
influence on your life and how it might have evolved hadn't you met 
Kamekichi-san and embarked on the path that led you to come together with 
Aniue-sama.  Whenever she was in trouble, regardless of her feelings, you 
were there for Akane-san.  Anyone would certainly welcome having such a 
dedicated protector be part of their lives.  Believe me, if it was I who you 
worked so hard to protect, I would be terribly loath to let you go.  However 
. . . "

	"It's my life in the end," Ranma muttered.

	Marie nodded.  "Hai, it always was, regardless of what others might have 
felt about it.  In fact, given how strongly those others felt about your 
life and the way your life's journey should have unfolded, I guess . . . "  
She then paused as if to find the least wounding way to say this.  "That 
what happened to Akane-san shouldn't have come as such a surprise."

	"What do you mean?"

	"Well . . . "  Marie adjusted her glasses as she took a deep breath.  "I 
was thinking of when Aniue-sama left Tomobiki and how that reflected on 
those people who saw him as nothing more than a tool so they could continue 
to associate with Lum-san.  His classmates at school and . . . "

	"His so-called 'parents.'"

	"Hai.  Reigi-san helped keep us apprised of events in Tomobiki right up to 
when the news came of Lum-san's 'death,'" Marie reported.  "Naturally, to 
ensure things went as smoothly as possible when Aniue-sama's memories were 
restored, Negako-aneuesama temporarily crippled Mendou and Megane's group, 
ensuring they wouldn't be able to leave their own bedrooms until a day or 
two after Lum-san was finally deported to Uru with Ten and Ran."

	"I bet they automatically blamed the whole mess on Ataru."

	"Hai, they did.  Not so surprising, ne?"  Marie smirked before she carried 
on, "Anyhow, the instant he was apprised of how and why the United Nations 
had come down so harshly on Lum-san, Mendou immediately lobbied the Diet to 
have the doors reopened so Lum-san could return to Earth."  A pause.  "It 
came as quite a shock to the poor fellow when the Diet turned his request 
down."

	Ranma chuckled.  "I bet that didn't go over too well."

	Marie shook her head.  "It did not.  Naturally, Mendou threatened to have 
the dietmen who were directly involved in the move to expel Lum-san from 
Earth eventually forced out of their positions.  Well, those esteemed 
gentlemen didn't like the idea of such a spoiled brat like him trying to 
influence their very lives so, through Reigi-san, they appealed to Mendou's 
father to discipline his child."  A pause.  "The discipline came in the form 
of the final decision to force Mendou to marry Mizunokooji Asuka."

	"But he loves that girl!" Ranma quickly pointed out.

	"True, which made it all the more easier for them to force this on Mendou." 
  Marie held up a finger, winking.  "Even more so, it preyed on Mendou's 
most vulnerable point:  His personal sense of honour.  If he publicly tried 
to stand up to his parents, he would be dishonoured.  And even if there are 
those women at Tomobiki High School . . . "

	"Not to mention Himiko and Mikiko," Ranma cut in with a wink, nodding to 
her right to indicate where Kawamura Himiko and Serizawa Mikiko had been 
sleeping since their return to Earth from the Avalon bioroid factory.

	"Not to mention Himiko-san and Mikiko-san," Marie parroted.  "Well, even if 
he has many friends, he would lose all access to the Kuromegane, his clan's 
forces and everything else."  She winked.  "Not to mention his allowance."

	"Oh, poor boy," Ranma mockingly crooned.

	Both laughed.  "As for Megane and his so-called 'friends,' they were far 
easier to deal with," Marie continued.  "With Mendou dealing with all his 
family problems, Megane couldn't rely on him for any intelligence support, 
such as using the Kuromegane to track down Aniue-sama so they could try to 
gain control of the situation again.  Yes, there were small teams dispatched 
by Mendou to try to locate Aniue-sama, but they never came anywhere close to 
the Island."

	"You mean he never thought of checking out Muchi and Kinshou?"

	Marie shook her head.  "No, Mendou didn't."

	"What an idiot!"

	"Agreed."

	"Did Megane's crew ever think of that?!"

	"Oh, no.  They never really got an opportunity," the younger woman stated.  
"You see, they had to worry about their parents.  None of them EVER approved 
of their interest in Lum-san.  Even more, Megane's mother is the 
spokesperson for the area PTA.  When Lum-san was sent home, Ms. Aisuru, on 
behalf of the PTA, released a statement denouncing Lum-san in some pretty 
harsh terms.  I can tell you now that what she said took even Aniue-sama by 
surprise; he always believed that everyone in Tomobiki liked Lum-san."

	"Ooooh!"  Ranma winced, and then she winked at Marie.  "I bet things got 
really cool between Megane and his mom after that happened."

	"Probably."

	A curious look crossed the marital artist's face.  "But what about Muchi 
and Kinshou, Marie-chan?  I mean, they knew everything . . . "

	"True, they did."  The younger teenager nodded.  "And yes, right away, 
Kinshou made it a point to confront Reigi-san about that.  But, when one is 
backed by a decision from the Court of Special Appeals, one doesn't really 
have to worry about potential challenges, especially from someone like 
Kinshou.  After all, when Negako-aneuesama approached the Court to have 
Muchi's and Kinshou's parental rights taken away, she made it a point to 
demonstrate how greedy Kinshou really was concerning getting control of 
Grandmother's fortune.  You know about the time when Kinshou tried to 
swindle Mrs. Mendou and Lum-san's mother of their money that one time, don't 
you?"

	Ranma nodded.  "Yeah, Ataru told me.  He also told me about the time on the 
'Kashin' when Lum's parents promised those two good jobs on Uru if Ataru 
married Lum.  Did Negako tell the court about that?" she then asked.

	"Hai, she did . . . "  Marie blinked.  "How did Aneue-sama know of that?  
That particular meeting happened outside our solar system . . .!"

	Ranma smirked.  "Don't question Negako's ways, Marie-chan.  I don't!"

	Both laughed.  "Well, it doesn't matter," Marie noted.  "In many ways, 
you're lucky, Aneue-sama.  You at least got to reconcile with many of those 
who once saw you as a mere commodity.  That is something I don't believe 
will ever happen with Aniue-sama, not for a long time to come."

	"Do you think he should try to mend fences with them?"

	The younger woman sat back in her chair, sighing.  "I really can't say, 
Aneue-sama.  I mean, yes, Aniue-sama did do some awful things to those 
people when he was living there.  In my eyes, he does owe people like Miyake 
Shinobu, Fujinami Ryuunosuke and Sakurambou Sakura an apology for all the 
times he tried to force himself on them.  But . . . "  She paused before 
shrugging.  "Would they accept an apology from him, Aneue-sama?  We know 
Aniue-sama would never do those things again.  But would they believe that?"

	"Is he afraid they'll want to do something worse?" Ranma wondered.  "Like 
try to drive a wedge between him and you girls?"

	Marie blinked before her blue-grey eyes, normally very deep and warm, 
turned ice-cold.  "If those twits believe they can try something like that 
to us, they can think again."  Her voice was tinged with a threatening 
growl.  "When he came to Promised Island, Aniue-sama came looking for a 
quiet, peaceful place so he could put his life back in order.  We 
acknowledged his desire by welcoming him to the House and revealing our 
family ties.  And given how much he's suffered since he came to the Island, 
especially when it comes to all those delightful after-effects of his 
'relationship' with Lum-san, those fools will not find a sympathetic ear 
with any of us."

	Ranma nodded.  "That's good.  Then again, with Megane and his crew gone, 
Mendou on the way to the altar with that Asuka girl and Lum herself changed 
into Seiko -- not to mention what happened last week at the school -- 
there's little left in Tomobiki who could really hurt Ataru."

	"Save those Niphentaxians who spy for that so-called 'church.'"

	"Hai, true."  The redhead then stood, walking to the doorway to gaze out a 
window at the grounds around the old shrine.  "Sure ain't true at Fuurinkan, 
though," she whispered before she sensed Marie's hand squeeze her shoulder.

	"How do you think the people there will react, Aneue-sama?"

	A grimace crossed Ranma's face.  "Hard to predict.  I never paid much 
attention to all the rumours people were passing around about me, much less 
Akane."  She shook her head.  "I can bet that Akane's friends, people like 
Yuka and Sayuri . . .!  They'll take it really hard, that's for sure."  A 
pause.  "The only real worry in the long term is Kunou."

	Marie drew her hand back.  "What might he do?"

	The older woman shook her head.  "Damn hard to predict, Marie-chan."  She 
sneered.  "With the way that idiot loves to twist things around so he feels 
he's on top of things . . . "  A shrug rolled her shoulder before she 
breathed out.  "It all depends on Nabiki in the end."

	"Could she try to make people see reason?"

	"Maybe.  When it comes to information control in that place, she's the one 
who holds the tiller."  Ranma then closed her eyes.  "I wonder if she'll let 
information about Ryouga's curse get out into the public."

	Marie gave her future sister-in-law a perplexed look.  "Aneue-sama, how 
could you POSSIBLY forgive what that man did to you . . .?!"

	Ranma fired an annoyed stare, that causing the younger woman to wilt.  
Seeing that reaction, the redhead cursed herself before turning to gaze once 
more out the window.  "Marie-chan, please, I CHOOSE to let it go, alright?  
Yes, what he did with Akane when he was 'P-chan' was wrong.  No doubt about 
that.  But . . . "  She paused, closing her eyes.  "I have as much a 
responsibility concerning that as Ryouga did . . . "

	"Aneue-sama, it was an accident!"  Marie crossed her arms.  "And if you 
personally ask me, the real culprit behind what happened to that man is your 
father.  If that monster hadn't dragged you off to China, Hibiki-san 
wouldn't have got the urge to follow.  If he didn't follow you to China, he 
wouldn't have been cursed, for Heaven's sake!"

	Silence fell.  Marie took a deep breath, resting her hands on the 
windowsill.  Ranma gazed briefly at the younger woman, and then she turned 
once more to gaze outside.  "Hinako-chan was right, you know."

	Marie blinked before a nod tilted her head.  "Hai, she was, wasn't she?"  
She pulled off her glasses, using the fabric of her sweater to clean the 
lenses.  "Look how quick we're all willing to lay blame for this on one 
person.  Rather foolish in the long term, isn't it?"

	Ranma nodded.  "Yeah, it is."

*    *    *

	"'Bout damned time you guys got here!  'Specially you, Nene!"

	The rose-haired, turquoise-eyed, Ellsian-born coxswain -- the unit master 
chief petty officer -- of Pathfinder Troop Six smirked as she gave Lufy a 
hug, and then she did the same to Catty Ray.  "You always needed me to help 
out, especially keeping this one in perfect trim after you decided to let 
her take her sister's place in your heart," Nene stated, and then she walked 
over to the sensory station on the "Konggh'cha's" pilotage, drawing out her 
portable laptop computer.  "So what's the story?" she asked.

	"Got some more non-locals in the area," Priss announced as she tapped 
controls to create a holographic image of thermospheric space over Tokyo for 
the members of Pathfinder Troop Six.  "The RENS 'Rose Emperor' to be exact."

	"The 'Rose Emperor?!'" a voice spoke up from aft.  "Why are they here?"

	"Couldn't tell, Sylia."  Priss glanced over her shoulder at the Troop's 
commander, who had moved to take the centre seat in the pilotage.  Even 
though the "Konggh'cha" was a civilian ship, tradition granted a serving 
naval unit commander the right to take command over civilian craft in times 
of trouble.  Which this certainly seemed to be given the history between the 
Daimon'cha of Sagussa and the current Ellsian head-of-state.  "All we could 
tell at this time is that Queen Elle herself's aboard."

	Sylia, a very elegant, raven-haired, brown-eyed Seishin-Urusian, blinked as 
she took in that information, and then she scowled.  "She might be here to 
make a play on Ataru-sama then," she announced.  "Now that Lum is dead . . . 
"

	The others automatically tensed on hearing that.  While the Daishi'cha as a 
whole had long ago agreed that it was an intelligent idea to keep their 
links to Moroboshi Ataru shielded as much as possible from scrutiny inside 
the Galactic Barrier, they also knew about Queen Elle's more-than-casual 
interest in their Daimon'cha; Noa had learned everything she could about 
that incident sometime after it happened.  From that, the Daishi'cha learned 
about Elle's quite interesting habit of freezing her past "lovers," all one 
hundred thousand of them, in a giant cryogenic storage unit currently 
located in the Royal Palace in the Kingdom's capital city, Baran.  AND, 
thanks to the Rovers, the Daishi'cha had just learned of an interesting 
little project being run by Elle's nanny, Babara de Esterchild, which 
concerned the creation of laboratory-born children, each born from the genes 
of the Rose Queen and her "cute boys."

	"We're going to rescue Ataru-sama if Elle tries to kidnap him, won't we?"

	Sylia stared at Sylvie.  One of the newer members of the Troop, the 
lavender-haired, golden-eyed, Yehisrite-born petty officer was the sniper 
and reconnaissance expert in First Section.  A Pirpirsiw'r like Lufy and 
Priss, Sylvie, in her first life, had actually been Priss' singing and 
fighting partner (their cheek tattoos were the same).  A terrible accident 
concerning nanites and the regeneration matrix used to rebirth the 
Daishi'cha had condemned Sylvie, not to mention many others (including all 
the other new members of the Troop, ten in all) to a premature burial on her 
birth world centuries ago.  Fortunately for them, the nanite-infested matrix 
had preserved their bodies and souls long enough for them to be retrieved 
and revived.  That had happened thanks to a very young Moroboshi Ataru when 
he visited Sagussa over a decade before.

	Sylvie, not to mention all the other new members of the Troop, owed their 
very existences to that simple fact.

	"We ARE going to rescue Ataru-sama, aren't we?" Anri, Sylvie's bond-mate 
and the communications expert in Section One, asked.

	"Are we?" Megan, Section Two's sniper, prodded.

	Sensing the expectant looks on her subordinates' faces, Sylia then sighed.  
"Nene, what's the status of the Daimon'cha's children?  Were they released 
from service in the Dominion's Special Forces and transported to Earth?"

	Nene tapped out a query on her laptop, which then transmitted a message to 
the "Kiboo'cha's" main computer.  The response came instantly.  "Hai, Sylia, 
they were let go and brought to Earth . . .!  Yesterday morning, in fact!"

	Sylia nodded.  "I see, then."

	"Commander . . . "

	Sylia sighed.  "Sylvie, I want to see Ataru-sama, too!  We all do, even us 
'old girls' . . . "  She waved a hand to indicate the Troop's other plank 
owners:  Reinoevan (the former first officer and sniper, now the Troop's 
doctor), Priss (the first coxswain), Nene (the former communications chief), 
Linna (the former demolitions chief, now chief of Section One) and 
Asukanoevan (the former transportation chief, now chief of Section Two).  "I 
know you consider it a matter of honour to remain as loyal as possible to 
him.  But if we give in to our passions and blitz in like a pride of hungry 
sandpanthers chasing down a herd of stormwalkers on the dunes near the 
Forge, we might do a lot more damage to Ataru-sama and everyone around him 
than we'd want.  You all know how Zed and his friends'll look on that.  And 
I think it wouldn't take us too much to understand how Ataru-sama himself 
would view something like that!"

	Sylvie blinked, and then a contrite look crossed her face.  "True."

	"Remember what I've always taught you about that, Sylvie," Linna then 
chided from her position behind Nene's seat.

	"H-hai . . . "

	"Still, if Ataru-sama is kidnapped, Commander . . . "

	Eyes turned to Naomi.  Sylia gazed on the raven-haired, green-eyed, 
Vosian-born physician's assistant, who served in the Troop as Reinoevan's 
field nurse.  Seeing the look on her face, and then noting the pleading 
looks on all the other newcomers' faces, the Troop commander sighed.  
"Alright!  All right, then!  If Ataru-sama is kidnapped, we'll go and rescue 
him!  But first, let's look to our ship driver's lover."

	The remainder of the Troop gazed amusedly at Catty Ray.  "Tapping into the 
'Kiboo'cha's' sensors to take a scan of the bioroid factory now, Sylia," 
Nene reported as she tapped away on her laptop.  "I'll find us a gestation 
room that isn't occupied, then make sure we won't be spotted when we go in."

	"Work fast, Nene!"

	"Aye, ma'am."

	"Ah!  There you guys are!"

	Eyes turned as Ayumu walked in.  To Priss and Lufy's relief, the 
Yizibajohei-born defence officer -- Ayumu was, in fact, the Master Chief 
Petty Officer of the Republic of Sagussa Navy, the service's senior 
non-commissioned officer -- had draped herself in a blouse and skirt.  "What 
are you doing here, Master Chief?" Sylia asked, inwardly groaning that THIS 
idiot was here.

	Ayumu impishly shrugged.  "Oh, Lufy needed some help when she came to find 
the bioroid factory, so I volunteered to come with them."

	Sylia barely fought down the urge to wince.  *Dear Lyna preserve us!*

	Murphy, Chaos' ultimate teacher, had decided to tag along on this trip.

	Bringing with him a hovercycle's load of explosive for the ride, to boot!

	Ayumu perked.  "Oh!  Tomo and Yomi'll be here to help out later today."

	Sylia's eyebrow twitched as the implications of THAT sank in.

	Adding an annihilation device to that load, Thoughtmaster-prime Murphy?

*    *    *

	"Chikage-chan!  Hina's here!"

	"Ah, Hinako, there you are!"  Chikage waved the youngest of the sisters 
into her bedroom.  "I've a little surprise for you."

	"Eh?!  A surprise for Hina?"  Hinako walked into the darkened space, and 
then her eyes fixed on the figure seated in the guest chair across the 
sorceress' worktable from Chikage herself.  "A-a-a-Akane-san . . .?!"

	Akane gazed on her.  "Ohayou, Hinako-chan."

	Silence fell as Hinako stared at the bodiless memory copy of the youngest 
of the Tendou daughters, and then she turned to gaze on Chikage.  
"Chikage-chan, Hina d-doesn't understand . . .!" she stammered, shakily 
pointing at Akane.

	***Actually, Hina, I can explain it.***

	"Bou-san?!"

	Hinako fell silent as the Staff whispered an explanation into her mind.  At 
the end, the young girl then waved her hands in exasperation.  "***BOU-SAN 
NO BAKA!***" she screamed out.  "***TELL HINA ABOUT THIS NEXT TIME!***"

	If the Staff could sweat-drop, it would.  ***Sorry . . . ***

	Chikage and Akane jerked at Hinako's ranting, and then they exchanged a 
look.  A smile cracked the latter's face.  In a moment, both women were 
giggling.  Hinako gazed quizzically on them, and then she started to laugh 
herself.  Finally, everyone relaxed as Akane waved Hinako to stand beside 
her.  "Well, now that's been cleared up, we have a decision to make," 
Chikage said before she remembered something, she raising a warning finger.  
"Pardon me.  Rather, Akane has a decision to make."

	Hinako gazed on the disembodied spirit beside her.  "Akane-san . . .?"

	"I . . . "  Akane closed her eyes as she considered what to say.  She then 
gazed questioningly on Hinako.  "Hinako-chan, would you . . .?"  Here, she 
paused before she looked ashamedly away.  "Want me to be real?  To . . .?"

	Hinako blinked, and then her eyes began to tear.  "Akane-san . . . "

	Sensing the younger girl's sorrow, Akane winced.  "Gomen . . . "

	***She has as much right to self-determination as her template, Hinako.***

	"Agreed," Chikage cut in before Hinako could retort.  Rising, the sorceress 
walked around the table to place a hand on Akane's shoulder.  "In fact, one 
might say that you presently have more greater freedom to choose your 
destiny than your template ever did."

	"Because of everyone's interference in her life."  Akane gazed up at her 
host.  Seeing Chikage nod, she breathed out, "True."

	"Hina wants Akane-san to be like Akane-san."

	Akane gazed on Hinako.  "Well, not EXACTLY like her!"  She flustered, she 
scratching the back of her head.  "I don't think anyone might appreciate the 
idea of me whipping out ki-mallets to hit people who can't defend 
themselves, like what the other me nearly did to Marie-san last night."

	"Yeah, that was really, really, REALLY dumb!"  Hinako ruefully chuckled.  
"Hina doesn't want to think of what Onii-tama or Negako-oneetama would've 
done to Akane-san if Marie-chan really, really, really got badly hurt!"

	Chikage shook her head as she drew her hand away from Akane.  "I can hear 
the Inquisition Excommunication March right now."

	Akane shuddered; while she had no idea what Chikage had meant by that 
statement, the tone in the sorceress' voice spoke volumes.  Taking a deep 
breath, she gazed at her host.  "So what might happen if I do go back as 
Akane?"

	Chikage sat down.  "The 'pros' are several.  Your identity is already 
established, with a life history to support it.  As I told you already, your 
school records can be switched to the College with ease.  In that respect, 
you ARE Tendou Akane, no different than the original.  From there, you can 
proceed ahead to chart your life's path with little or no hindrance 
whatsoever."  A pause.  "The 'cons' will be considerable, however.  First 
point is your template's family and their reaction . . . "

	Akane sighed.  "They've already been hurt because of this."

	Chikage nodded.  "Hai, they have.  Since they witnessed the parting scene 
between your template and Hinako here last night when the police came to 
Ani-kun's home to investigate what happened -- that was facilitated by the 
Staff, of course -- Kasumi, Nabiki and Shinshi will need very little 
persuasion to make them understand what exactly you are.  And there lies the 
potential trap.  Would they accept you into their family, as Akane, no 
different from the original?  Or would they keep you at arm's length?"

	"They seemed pretty hell-bent about it last night," Akane noted before she 
gazed on the table.  "Then again, the other me's behaviour when it came to 
Ranma and your brother certainly wasn't stellar by far."

	"Agreed, it wasn't," Chikage said.  "But given the inordinate amount of 
leniency by which your template's always been treated by family and friends 
alike, is it really so surprising to you, Akane?"

	Akane gazed on the sorceress before she nodded.  "Yeah, that's true, isn't 
it?"  She then gazed heavenward.  "Before she died, Mom was the 
disciplinarian in the family.  She was pretty firm when she had to be, too . 
. . "

	"Did she spank you?" Hinako wondered.

	Akane shook her head.  "Iie.  Mom didn't need to do that.  She was very 
persuasive when it came to scolding us.  I always hated that.  But . . . "  
She closed her eyes.  "Mom was kind about it, too.  When it was all over, 
she tried to explain what I did wrong and why it was wrong."  A shudder ran 
through her.  "Oh, gods, I miss that so much . . . "

	"She was the real backbone of your family," Chikage noted.

	Akane nodded.  "That she was.  Then when she was gone . . . "  She gazed on 
the table.  "It's a wonder we survived that.  Dad just became a crying 
wreck.  Kasumi threw away her whole life to keep the house in shape.  Nabiki 
became the real breadwinner of the family . . . "

	"And your template was allowed to do whatever she wanted, without any 
guidance, either positive or negative, from those who should have helped her 
through that time," Chikage finished.  "That is where this began, Akane.  
Last night, it finally came to a head."

	"And that other me ran away from it."  Akane sighed, gazing on Hinako.  
"Even with someone there ready to make a miracle happen."

	Hinako sniffed.  "Akane-san said she had no friends or family left."

	"That she did."  Chikage drew out a handkerchief for her sister to use.  
"And because they know that, I believe the others of your family will work 
extra hard to welcome you 'back' into the fold, Akane."

	Akane nodded.  "I hope so.  What other problems might come up?"

	"My family is the other major problem.  Now, as with your family, it will 
be easy to persuade mine of what you are and how you came to be.  However, 
given your template's behaviour towards Marie and Hinako, many of us might 
treat you with indifference if not hostility for a considerable period to 
come.  You'll have to work to earn their respect.  For some of them, that 
will be difficult."

	"I can guess that.  What about Ranma?"

	"Ane-kun?  The same thing.  But I believe you will slip back into Ane-kun's 
good side if you acknowledge what exists between her and Ani-kun and vow to 
leave them be.  That, put simply, is what Ane-kun wanted in the end, Akane."

	Akane gazed on Chikage.  "That's a tall order, Chikage-san.  I mean . . . " 
  She stopped, and then she sighed.  "Okay, Ranma's a girl.  If that's what 
she wants, I suppose I could go along with it.  I . . . "  Another pause.  
"I guess that after she found out what that stupid panda did to her before 
their training trip, actually electing to go totally against what Genma 
wanted WAS the perfect revenge to take.  And . . . "  Another, longer pause. 
  "And if . . . "  She shuddered before sniffing back tears.  "If she's come 
to love your brother, then . . . "  Her hands squeeze.  "I can only wish her 
-- and him -- the best.  But . . . "  A hand shifted to hover over her 
heart.  "Why won't she come back to us?"

	"What do you mean by 'us?'" Chikage gently probed.

	"My family!" Akane blurted out, that causing Hinako to falter.  Sensing 
that, she relaxed.  "Chikage-san, she lived with us for over a year.  We 
gave her the first home she had in well over a DECADE!  And now she says she 
doesn't want anything to do with us?!  WHY?!"

	"But did your family REALLY offer her a home?"

	Akane shuddered.  "I . . .!"

	Chikage sighed.  "Hinako, why don't you get Bou-san to create Akane's new 
body?  Have it placed in your room when it's ready."

	"I . . . "  Hinako blinked, and then she nodded.  "Okay!"

	She vanished.  Akane watched her go, and then she turned to gaze on her 
host.  "Akane, I have something of a confession to make to you."  Chikage 
placed her hands on the table between them.  "And in doing so, I hope I can 
make you better understand Ane-kun's feelings about a lot of things, 
including her interaction with your family.  And mine."

	Akane blinked.

*    *    *

	"One-Six to Six-Six.  Insertion all green.  Proceeding with operation."

	"One-Six, Six-Six, confirm."

	"Out."

	Linna tapped her communicator to cut the link, and then she nodded to the 
members of her section.  The four other members of Section One -- Sylvie, 
Anri, Reika and Naoko -- spread out to the various corners of the empty 
gestation room deep near the aft end of the Avalon bioroid factory.  Anri -- 
a green-haired, blue-eyed Yehisrite-born girl, looking to be about sixteen, 
whose first life had ended at the same time as Priss', Sylvie's and Reika's 
-- pulled out her laptop to hook into the gestation room's control unit.  
Tapping controls, she linked into the systems monitoring this part of the 
faculty, and then she got to work.  Everyone remained quiet as the young 
woman tapped away.  Finally, she nodded before glancing at Linna.  "We're 
sealed off from outside monitoring and I've disabled intra-ship beaming to 
this location.  No one can beam themselves into this chamber or into the one 
through that door."  She pointed to the door leading to a neighbouring 
gestation room; Sylvie was covering it with her rifle.

	"Okay," the raven-haired, blue-eyed, Fukunokami-born chief petty officer 
said as everyone else relaxed, and then she tapped her communicator.  
"One-Six to Six-Six.  Situation nominal.  Send Six-Five, Six-Nine and 
Six-Nine-Two over."

	"Out," Sylia replied.

	A transporter beam flared, revealing Priss, Lufy and Catty Ray.  Like the 
others who had just beamed aboard the bioroid factory, the Troop first 
officer and her companions were dressed in non-reflective black combat 
skinsuits, combat webbing strapped around their shoulders and waists.  
Drawing her sidearm, Priss waved her companions over to the control unit, 
she reaching into a pouch to hand a datachip to Anri.  "Work fast, Anri," 
Priss ordered as the younger woman took the chip and inserted it into her 
laptop.

	"Hai!" Anri replied as she tapped controls.  A moment later, the gestation 
fluids inside one of the vertical chambers before her began to boil.  
"Alright, it's ready."  She gazed on Catty Ray.  "Catty, the genetic sample, 
please!"

	The android blinked, and then she reached down to pull her left sleeve 
back.  Tapping a point below her wrist, she waited for a circuit hatch to 
open.  Reaching in, she pulled out a small vial filled with red blood 
flecked with the golden drops that marked the presence of the regenerative 
enzymes inside a Sagussan's body.  Staring at the sample, Catty Ray closed 
her eyes as the finality of the moment sank in on her.  The others gazed 
sympathetically at her.  Catty Ray was the first companion android to have 
been allowed to evolve into full sentience, the first ever to be given full 
citizenship rights in the Fifth Republic of Sagussa.  Once that had 
happened, the path that had ultimately led Lufy's lover to this point in her 
life had been easy to traverse.  That she was experiencing cold feet at the 
threshold of her new life was understandable.  Finally, Catty Ray opened her 
eyes, she nodding in determination.  "Okay . . . "

	She walked to the chamber currently bubbling with enzymes ready to 
transform the bioroid within into a genetic twin of the android's own 
template.  Taking the vial, she loaded it into the appropriate slot, and 
then she nodded at Anri.  As the latter tapped controls to begin the 
process, Catty Ray reached up to close the circuit hatch.  Lufy and Priss 
walked up to place hands on the android's shoulders.  "You okay, love?" the 
former whispered before she leaned down to tenderly kiss Catty Ray's cheek.  
"No regrets?"

	Catty Ray gazed up on Lufy.  "None . . . "

	A soft chime echoed from Linna's communicator.  "One-Six, Six-Six."

	Linna tapped her communicator for two-way.  "Six-Six, One-Six, go."

	Sylia's voice had a tremor in it.  "Be warned, Linna.  There's someone in 
the chamber next to yours.  She scans as Terran.  We're also picking up a 
VERY high pure Te'a energy source reading from there.  Watch yourselves, 
girls."

	The members of the Troop exchanged looks.  "We'll check it out, Sylia," 
Priss announced as she tapped her own communicator.

	"Be careful, Priss . . .!  Oh, damn!"

	"What?!" Priss snapped.

	A moan escaped the Troop commander.  "Ayumu . . .!"

*    *    *

	"Greetings, Earthling."

	Hinako gasped in shock as that imposing voice echoed around her.  She then 
turned around to see a girl appearing to be about Rinrin's age standing 
behind her, she dressed in a plain blouse and knee-length skirt.  Staring 
intently into the newcomer's eyes, the youngest of Ataru's sisters was quick 
to sense something -- well, NOT exactly human! -- about her.  The visitor's 
right arm was raised in a friendly wave, a genuine smile etched on her face.

	"A-ri-ri?!" Hinako uttered as she took in the visitor's measure, and then 
an annoyed scowl crossed her face.  "You scared Hina!" she declared.  
*Bou-san, why didn't you tell Hina this girl was coming?!* she mentally 
demanded.

	***I didn't sense her until she appeared!*** the Staff confessed.

	"Bou-san wouldn't be able to detect me anyway," the visitor then said.

	Hinako jolted.  "Huh?!  Why?!"

	"Because of my metahuman power."  The visitor waved to herself.  "I have 
the ability to alter probability fields on mental command.  Since that 
always affects the Te'a, anything tied to the Te'a will be automatically 
affected."

	Hinako blink-blinked; she had hardly understood any of that.  Oh, well.  
Bou-san could tell her about it later.  "Oh . . . "

	***While I do detect Sagussan genetic modifications to her DNA, it appears 
that our guest is Yizibajohei.***

	Another blink.  "'Yi-zi-ba-whoa-hey?!'"

	***Native of the planet Yiziba, Hinako.  All inhabitants on that planet 
possess one form of metahuman power or another.***

	The visitor blinked.  "'Hinako?'  Is that your name?"

	Hinako smiled.  "Hai!"  She then blinked.  "A-ri-ri?!  Hina heard from 
Miree-san that no one was living on Sagussa now!"

	The visitor waved her hand in a "that's okay" gesture.  "Bou-san probably 
got taken off Sagussa before the Clone Rights War.  That was fourteen 
thousand years ago.  A lot's changed on Sagussa since then."  Her smile 
widened as she leaned closer to Hinako.  "So whatcha doing here, 
Hinako-chan?"

	"Oh . . . "  Hinako breathed out, and then she perked.  "Oh!  Hina's gotta 
get a new body readied for Akane-san!"

	With that, she aimed the Staff of Gihan at one of the non-templated 
bioroids in the room.  One intensive blast of energy later, the bioroid 
began to slowly transform into a perfect replica of Tendou Akane.  The 
visitor gazed on the morphing humanoid before them, an admiring whistle 
escaping her.  "She's pretty!  Whatcha making her for, Hinako-chan?  You 
want someone to play with?"

	"Um, not r-really!" Hinako replied with an embarrassed chuckle.  "The real 
Akane-san went to the Very, Very Bright Place last night when Akari-san's 
big piggy stomped on her.  Akane-san wanted to be with her mama in the Very, 
Very Bright Place.  But Bou-san went and made a double of Akane-san!"  She 
scowled at the Staff.  "And Bou-san went and did it without telling Hina 
about it!"

	***I said I was sorry!*** the Staff whined.

	"Why did a piggy stomp your friend?" the visitor asked.  "That was rude!"

	Hinako chuckled.  "It's a really, really, REALLY long story!"  She then 
perked.  "Um, what's your name?" she then asked.

	She started.  "Oh!  I'm sorry!"  She then laughed, reaching up to scratch 
her head.  "I'm Ayumu."  She waved to herself.  "Daishi'cha 
Seven-oh-one-oh-eight.  I'm the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Republic 
of Sagussa Navy."

	Hinako blinked, and then she giggled as Ayumu leaned down, one of her 
little fingers extended.  Hinako linked her own little finger with Ayumu's, 
and then they "shook" on it.  "So what're you doing here, Ayumu-chan?"

	"Well, my friends scanned you coming up here.  That's why I came to see 
you," Ayumu explained as she waved to the door leading to the neighbouring 
room.  "We came here to get an Avalonian body for an android who's very 
close to a friend of mine 'cause she's now fully sentient and deserves to be 
human!"

	Hinako took that in, and then she cheered.  "Waaai!  That's neat!"

*    *    *

	"Incredible as this sounds, that airhead is doing good!" Priss muttered.

	The others were gazing on Hinako and Ayumu through a visual link accessed 
by Anri.  "Priss, isn't that one of the Haijo-ju prototypes from before the 
Clone Rights War?" Reika, a brown-haired-and-eyed Yehisrite who served as 
Section One's demolitions expert, asked.  "How did a girl from Earth get 
hold of one of those?!  I don't think Horan scattered them in this part of 
space!"

	"Neither did I!" Linna hissed.

	"Can you bioscan that girl, Anri?" Lufy asked.

	Everyone stared at the "Konggh'cha's" shipmistress.  "Why?" Priss asked.

	A confused look was etched on Lufy's face.  "Something about her . . . "

	"Just a moment, Lufy," Anri said as she tapped controls.  Everyone waited 
for the scan to be completed.  Once it was done, Anri then tapped buttons to 
call up the scan results.  "Now what?"

	"Compare it to what we've got on Terrans we've made contact with."

	"Hai."

	Another moment passed as the laptop did its comparison, and then a window 
opened on the display screen.  Staring at the results, Anri's jaw then 
dropped to the deck in shocked disbelief.  "Oh, Lyna have mercy . . .!" she 
breathed out as she pointed at her screen.  "It can't be . . .!"

	"What?!" Sylvie demanded before she took her own look, and then her eyes 
nearly bulged out of her head.  "That's . . .!"

	"She's . . .!" Lufy gasped.  "She's Ataru's SISTER?!"

	The others exchanged shocked looks.

*    *    *

	"Oh, Ryouga-san, that's horrible!"

	A cup of tea was placed before him.  "Thanks."  He nodded at Kanami, and 
then took a sip.  "Akane-san . . . "

	"We deeply grieve for you, Ryouga-san," Kitahara Yukimi said as she 
squeezed their guest's shoulders.  The only ones with Ryouga in the 
apartment block's kitchen at that time were the five Avalonians who called 
this place home, plus Yukimi's lover Narumi Miruko.  The Izumo sisters had 
taken Ten and the four bioroid replicas who'd brought the young boy to Earth 
downtown to have them fully registered with the United Nations.  "I pray 
that wherever in the Te'a she is at this time, Akane-san is at peace."

	"She's with her mother at least."  Ryouga blinked as a surge of empathic 
warmth flooded him from Yukimi's fingers.  "But still . . . "

	Kashima Namie lightly smiled.  "It's alright, Ryouga-san."

	"No, it's NOT alright . . .!"

	"Hey!"  Yukimi squeezed his shoulders, and then she sighed.  "Yes, 
Ryouga-san, what you did while you were playing 'P-chan' WAS wrong!  No 
doubt about it.  But who was there to tell you what was wrong and what was 
right?!"

	"I . . . "

	Kodama Hiro gave his hand a squeeze.  "Yukimi-chan's right.  And so was 
Hinako-sama when she stepped up to your defence last night after Akane-san 
died.  We . . . " -- she pointed to herself, and then she indicated her 
fellow Avalonians -- " . . . know what is normally accepted as 'right' and 
'wrong' because we were PROGRAMMED to acknowledge that!  Most other people, 
people like Miruko-chan . . . " -- she waved to the crippled girl -- " . . . 
well, in a sense, they're programmed, too!  If it's not by their parents or 
guardians, it's by their siblings, peers or teachers."  She gazed on Ryouga. 
  "Where were YOUR teachers, Ryouga-san?  Where were your siblings, your 
parents, your peers?  In effect, when you get down to it, you had none."

	"I knew enough . . . "

	Yukimi shook her head.  "No, Ryouga-kun.  You never were given any sort of 
proper guidance when it came to controlling your anger.  Thanks to that 
direction curse of yours, you couldn't stay still long enough to have those 
life lessons others take for granted implanted into you.  And without that, 
all that was needed was a person or object for you to fix your anger onto 
and *boom!*  You became a runaway bullet train!"

	Ryouga slowly exhaled.  "Ranma . . . "

	Yukimi nodded.  "Hai.  When you first met Akane-san as 'P-chan,' you soon 
realized you were caught in a bind.  Here was the first person in so long to 
treat you with real kindness.  Is it any wonder you latched onto that right 
away?!  That's how DESPERATE you were to have someone show you that sort of 
kindness, Ryouga-san.  And then . . . "

	"And then, you found out that this wonderful woman you just met was also 
the fiancée of the man you hated with every fibre of your being," Kanami 
added.  "So, because you had become so desperate to not just hang onto 
Akane-san but to destroy Ranma-san at the same time . . . "

	"Can't forget the doofuses who knew the whole story!" Miruko noted.

	Momose Tamako nodded.  "Agreed."

	Ryouga took a moment to consider that.  "Yeah!  That's true, isn't it?  If 
Akane-san's father and that panda were so hell-bent on getting Akane-san 
married to Ranma -- and Kasumi-san was pretty much for it, too! -- why would 
they let me continue to pretend to be P-chan . . .?"

	The others considered that.  Miruko blinked.  "They were using you?"

	Everyone stared at her.  "Eh?!"

	"Using me?!"  Ryouga's jaw dropped before he sat back in his chair.  "Damn 
it all . . . "  His hands slowly clenched into quaking fists.

	"Why did you conclude that, Miruko-chan?" Kanami asked.

	"Well, don't you remember what Ryouga-kun said about all the fights 
Akane-san and Ranma-san had because of their engagement?"

	The others nodded.  Tamako perked.  "And there were the times Ranma-san 
called Ryouga-kun 'P-chan' or 'pig boy,' especially if it was in front of 
Akane-san.  Ryouga-kun, were there times Ranma-san stopped you from 
admitting the truth to Akane-san?" she then asked the wanderer.

	"Yeah!"  Ryouga nodded, and then he sighed.  "I guess Ranma did that 'cause 
she was afraid Akane-san'd blame it on her . . . "  His voice trailed off as 
he gazed to the ceiling.  "Then again, I have to remember that Ranma wasn't 
operating at her peak during that time."

	"Why's that?" Namie asked.

	"It's something her dad did before they went off on their big training trip 
. . . "  Ryouga then elaborated further to his hosts.

	At the end, everyone was stunned.  "What an asshole!" Miruko spat.  "Geez!  
And he had the guts to call himself Ranma's father?!"

	Kanami sneered.  "If that happened on the Creators' Homeworld, he would've 
been put to death!  What about Ranma-san's mo